The Eye Of The Gazer
Chapter 3
Cho Chang lay on her four poster bed propped up on half a dozen pillows. She ran her hands protectively over her swollen belly as if to soothe the waiting baby. She tried to think calm thoughts, but she was so uncomfortable. She had tried sitting in different chairs, lying flat, and walking slowly around her rooms and the rest of the house. Walking had been the best solution for a while, but then she had stopped due to a combination of boredom with the scenery - for she had seen every room an infinite number of times in this way during these past few weeks - and the aching in her back, legs and swollen ankles due to the extra weight she was carrying, and the posture it forced her to adopt. Cho wished the baby would come: the waiting seemed to go on forever and she was sick of feeling like a beached whale, especially during these hot summer days; though she was slightly afraid too, for she had never done any of this before.
She looked around the room and admired her handiwork, for she had had a sudden burst of energy, which her grandmother had called the nesting instinct. During this time she had used her creative talents to the full, sewing new curtains for the windows and the bed, and beginning a patchwork quilt for the baby. This was a work in progress, for it was not for the baby's crib, but for her expected child when he or she slept in a proper bed. She planned to add pieces to the design as the baby grew up and developed its own individual personality. It was also something she could do while sitting waiting for the baby to decide to be born. Now she picked up her sewing basket, and was about to select a new piece of fabric to work with, when she heard a noise in the grate.
Cho turned to the fireplace. No fire had been laid for a month since the start of this long spell of sunshine, but in place of friendly flames she saw the outline of a face that smiled and asked, "Is it convenient to call?" She smiled back, and said it was exceedingly convenient. The head was then seen to be attached to a body, and the tall figure of Lucius Malfoy stepped out of the fireplace onto the hearthrug. He strode over to Cho, bent over her, and kissed her deeply, stroking her black shining hair as she flung her arms around his neck. The pair had an agreement that he could call on Cho in this manner in her own rooms at Gildenford Hall, but if he wished to visit elsewhere in the Chang house, he must enter in the usual way via the front door.
Lucius sat on the edge of the bed, and scrutinised Cho, missing nothing. He stroked her face. "Tired, my love?" he asked her.
"No, Lucius, I'm not tired, just bored. I can't do anything, I'm such a lump, and I can't get comfortable either."
"Let me rub your back and feet for you," replied Lucius, removing his jacket. "Close your eyes and lay back," he commanded her. She obeyed without question, and he sat cross-legged on the bed with her feet in his lap. Firmly, skilfully, he massaged first one foot and then the other. He knew how to soothe away the aches in Cho's foot muscles without tickling her feet. On previous occasions, he had teased her mercilessly about her ticklishness, and deliberately tickled her after lulling her into a false sense of security, but since she had become so heavy with her pregnancy he sensed that she just wanted to be pampered, and resisted the temptation. After her feet, he massaged her ankles and her calf muscles, pushing his fingers into them so hard that it hurt her, the pain followed immediately by a blessed relief from the stresses of the day when he lightened his touch.
Lucius moved up the bed, and told Cho quietly to lie on her side. She turned over, and he arranged the pillows to support her, placing one under her "bump". Cho was wearing a loose fitting robe, and she discovered that he had managed to undo the buttons without her realising while he was ostensibly merely plumping her cushions. He eased the bodice of the robe off her carefully, while kissing her neck and shoulders, and then deftly slid the robe away from under her. He removed her bra equally efficiently. Cho's nipples stiffened with desire, but he kept his hands away from her breasts, and removed his shirt. Cho felt the coolness of oil on Lucius' hands, and smelled the faintest scent of lavender, as he then massaged her back, finding all the knots of tension in her shoulders, and as with her calves, she endured the pain of the forceful pressure on her stiffest muscles in order to feel the wonderful release when he stopped. Cho began to feel like a rag doll as she relaxed into Lucius' touch. She felt herself falling asleep.
However, Lucius had not finished with her. As she lay, her back pressed against the hairs on his warm chest, he slid one hand around her, and stroked Cho's swollen breasts, supporting their weight. He brushed his palm repeatedly against her nipples so that they hardened in response, and then he circled each nipple with his fingers and thumb, finally pinching them firmly in turn so that she gasped. Cho no longer felt sleepy, as tongues of flame ran through her nipples and evoked a response between her legs. Unconsciously she pushed her breasts further into Lucius' hand, and a shiver ran down her back as he nuzzled her neck, tickling her shoulders with his hair. Lucius kissed her shoulders, and all the way down her spine to her waist, sliding her underwear down so that he could also kiss her buttocks. He then turned her over again and arranged the pillows so that she was once more propped up half-sitting. He took the opportunity at the same time to kiss her breasts lingeringly, sucking almost painfully on each nipple. "One advantage of pregnancy," he leered as he admired their increased size, pretending to weigh one in each hand. Cho blushed a little, but smiled back at him, pleased that he found something to admire in this body she herself found so alien.
Lucius told Cho to lift herself slightly, and with practised deftness slid her briefs down her legs and over her feet so that she lay naked. Gently he placed her feet wide apart, knees bent. Cho could feel that she was wet with desire, longing for Lucius' touch. Lucius lay on the bed with his head between Cho's knees. First he kissed her inner thighs just above the knee, and he worked his way slowly upwards till she felt his tongue touch her labia. Cho moaned and thrust herself at Lucius' mouth, but he continued to tease her, running his tongue around the entrance to her vagina, and occasionally flicking it against her clitoris. Then, as desperation grew in her, Cho felt him slide two fingers inside her, angled perfectly to massage her most sensitive spot. Simultaneously, his tongue found her clitoris. Cho thrust her hips forward so that the fingers pressed more deeply into her, and in response Lucius' tongue hardened and massaged her faster. All of Cho's concentration was on these two most sensitive parts, and the sensations running from them to deep inside her. She felt pressure building up, till suddenly she was at the peak of the mountain in an instant of nothing. Cho gave a great cry before she was hit by wave upon wave of pleasure. Contractions shook her body, which seemed to have a life of its own. She gripped the bed, and screamed, "Lucius!" in her ecstatic agony. In response he pressed his fingers into her, prolonging the moment. On and on went the waves, until a part of Cho's brain suddenly seemed to be saying to her that this time was different.
In the middle of her orgasm, Cho Chang laughed, and shouted out, "Lucius! The baby's coming! I'm having a contraction!"
The labour lasted for hours. Lucius did not know what to do with himself. He could faintly hear intermittent screams from Cho's room, and feelings coursed through him in turn: concern for Cho in her agony and guilt for being the cause of all this pain; a longing to see this new son or daughter; an unexpected surge of love for this young woman whom he had initially seduced as one more conquest; anxiety lest the child should be born less than perfect. His memory went back to that day 22 years ago when his only son had been born, and he felt even more guilt that his son's mother had died a few months ago in order to save him, while he in turn had just betrayed her by starting the spark that would eventually result in the birth of this newest offspring. That labour had not been easy either. Narcissa had barely been able to hold her babe in her arms when she had finally pushed Draco into the world.
Lucius also felt slightly awkward here in the palatial Chang house. It was not a feeling with which he was familiar. Malfoy pride had always meant that Lucius cared little for the opinions and feelings of others, but here things were different. In the past, he had almost always been either on his own property, or in the presence of his social inferiors such as tradesmen or schoolteachers. The Changs were even richer than the Malfoys, and the fact that their wealth came from trade mattered little when one was as wealthy as this Chinese wizarding family, especially when jade was the item traded. Gildenford Hall was larger than Malfoy Manor, and like Malfoy himself, Sun Chang owned other properties. Also, Lucius was aware that he was only tolerated here for the sake of Cho. As long as Cho wished it, he could come and go as he pleased, but he was well aware that should he treat her badly in any way so that she no longer wanted him, the door would be barred against him. He knew that Sun Chang disapproved of him as the lover of his granddaughter, for his age and his history were against him. Lucius had never tried to hide his womanising ways: on the contrary, he had flaunted his lifestyle in the faces of many people of influence in the wizarding world. Sun Chang was not convinced that Malfoy could or would change in order to be faithful only to Cho Chang, one year older than Malfoy's son, and still young enough to be convinced that she would love only one man for her whole life. Malfoy did not blame him for this, he was still unsure himself if he really could change, but he had promised to try.
What should an expectant father do during those agonising hours, waiting, waiting? Lucius had heard that Muggle fathers were present at the birth of their children, but he did not believe this could possibly be true even for such unspeakably uncivilised beings. Birth was witches' and house elves' business. Wizards were shooed away as being completely useless and merely in the way: and what respectable witch would want the father of her child seeing her in such an undignified position, screaming in agony? For magic could help but a little: witches and Muggles suffered alike during this most animal of processes.
Lucius could not leave Gildenford Hall, even though he might have to wait until the next day. He must be here so that as soon as the child appeared, he would be ready to greet it. He could not bear to be in another place, far from Cho, even though he could apparate from Malfoy Manor in a few seconds. But the attention of the female household was focused on the birthing in Cho's chambers, while the men of the family were away at Chang Jade Holdings. So Lucius paced around the empty reception rooms; sat in the library and gazed unseeing at The Daily Prophet; strolled around the walled garden under Cho's window, pausing to sit in turn on each seat and attempt to focus on the plants; went back into the house and paced round the rooms again. House elves brought him food at regular intervals, but it lay untouched, and if Lucius felt a sudden pang of hunger, by then he had forgotten where the plate had been left.
Night fell, and the baby was not yet born. Lucius felt himself falling asleep in spite of his determination to remain alert. A house elf fearfully offered Mr Malfoy a room for the night. Madam Chang, Cho's grandmother, had promised he would be woken as soon as his child was born. Lucius was uncharacteristically civil to the elf, and after some thought, accepted his mistress's offer. The elf showed him to a bedroom, and brought him towels, and a large jug of hot water which he poured into a matching basin, then he backed out of the room bowing obsequiously. Lucius splashed his face with the water, and lay half dressed on the unfamiliar bed, his thoughts racing, and finally fell into an uneasy sleep.
At four o'clock in the morning there was a knock on the door, firstly soft, then louder. Hearing no response, a frightened house elf entered the room, and tentatively pulled on the sleeve of an arm hanging down by the side of the bed. Lucius awoke with a start, feeling completely disoriented. Eventually, he realised where he was, sat up and looked at the house elf, demanding, "Well? What's happened?"
"Please, Mr Malfoy," squeaked the elf, cowering, "Mistress says to come along now. The baby has been born."
Lucius leapt out of bed, adrenalin coursing through his veins, briefly ensured he was sufficiently clad for decency's sake, then strode after the elf, who scurried ahead, guiding him to Cho's chambers. The house elf halted outside her bedroom, and opened the door, standing back to allow Lucius to pass inside.
He entered Cho's bedchamber, suddenly feeling slightly embarrassed: for Lucius Malfoy, a unique feeling. He paused just inside the door, firstly noting the others there: all witches. So he had been summoned before the Chang men. This was acceptance of a sort. Lucius then looked at the bed, and immediately only had eyes for Cho. She was sitting smiling at him, propped up by numerous pillows, in a freshly made bed, with a bundle in her arms: his child.
Lucius hurried forward to her side. Closer, he could see she was exhausted, her hair damp with sweat, although her face had been dried. Determination prevented her from collapsing, she smiled even more widely, and held out the bundle, but firstly Lucius kissed her, for once in his life ignoring his audience. Had he been paying them any attention, he would have noticed the glances of approval passing between Madam Chang the matriarch, her daughter-in-law Cho's mother, and the other Chang women. Instead, he murmured to Cho how proud he was of her, and their "love child", and she blushed at this reference to the act that had precipitated her labour. Lucius then took the precious bundle from Cho's arms, holding it with practised ease, for he had not forgotten, even though it was many years since Draco was so small. He looked down into the perfect face of his tiny daughter. He did not need to be told this was a girl child, somehow he knew, and to his surprise he was glad. He had a son, he had never had a daughter before: this was a new beginning in so many ways.
"Good morning, Bryony," he said, not trying to hide the tears shining in his grey eyes, "Welcome to the world."
In reply, his daughter yawned widely. Lucius Malfoy laughed with delight.