Narcissa's announcement had appeared in all of the society pages by Christmas Eve. 'Mrs. Malfoy, Soon to be Mother of Two! Rita Skeeter Speculates' proclaimed one article, while another's title read 'Malfoy to be Mum Once More'.
She sat at the dining room table, still in her nightgown, glancing over what had been written about her, her husband giving the articles a more critical glance when she was through with them.
"I must say, Lucius, I never thought I would be considered newsworthy again, not since… You know." She didn't want to mention the last time she made the newspapers, when they had proclaimed she and her family had quite officially fallen from grace with Lucius's sentence to Azkaban.
"Well, you are a savior of the Wizarding world now; it's only natural you remain in the public eye so soon afterwards."
Narcissa smirked. Was that a hint of envy she detected in his voice? "I'm sure it'll be over by this time next week, if not sooner. Or at least, I can hope so."
"Regardless, at least it's positive this-" Lucius stopped abruptly, his attention caught by a piece of the article he was reading. "Narcissa, have you read what that Skeeter woman has written about you?"
"Not in detail, why?"
He cleared his throat and began reading. "'Is it all a sad attempt to keep together a broken marriage? Or perhaps Malfoy Jr. is the only way they feel they can move on from the tragedies they witnessed - a child born of necessity?' Narcissa, I can't say I care for this one bit…!"
Narcissa merely laughed at his reaction, having fully anticipated the likes of the segment he read to her. "Don't you recall? She did exactly the same thing when I was pregnant with Draco, and who gave a second glance at the nonsense she wrote then? Nobody, Lucius. In fact, I'm sure she and everyone else will forget about me the instant Potter is spotted with the Weasley girl again."
"Still, things are different now… I suppose I'd just feel a bit better if you'd give her an interview or something, just to let them know these theories of hers couldn't be further from the truth." He disliked it, even found it offensive that anyone would think to write such things about her, and was in no way joking when he said he wanted her to correct the woman.
"…I'll keep it in mind," she promised. Narcissa highly doubted she'd be giving Rita Skeeter what she wanted any time soon, but for Lucius she was willing to pretend.
As Lucius reluctantly cast aside Rita's article with the rest of the announcements of his wife's pregnancy and picked up the Daily Prophet, Draco's footsteps could be heard descending the nearby staircase.
"Draco, good morning!" Narcissa said with a smile upon her son's arrival.
"'Morning, Mother; Father." Despite the conversation he had had with his father, Draco was still unsure of what to say around his mother. She was no different than she was when he saw her at King's Cross or even when she had seen him off at the start of the school year, yet he found himself conscious of his words and even his movements in her presence.
"Are you hungry at all? I thought you might be, so I held off on starting breakfast for the two of you…"
"S-sure, breakfast would be nice. Thank you," the boy said in the kindest tones he could manage.
Narcissa stood and gestured for him to sit down near his father. As he did so, the small stack of magazines and papers sitting on the table did not escape his notice.
"Draco," Lucius lowered the newspaper to address him once Narcissa had gone to prepare their meal. "It is not any easier for her than it is for you. I have every intention of speaking with her about it too, but until then please try to be as normal as possible with her. As you can imagine, hurting you or making you angry because of this is one of her greatest fears right now, and I think it would be best if you and I both did what we can to help alleviate them."
Draco nodded. "I will," he said. "It's just so odd for me to consider, I suppose… I mean, that it's not really only Mother I'm speaking to, in a way…"
"That I can understand, and I can say with some authority on the matter that it does go away, quicker than you might expect. When you're home for the summer and you're here to see her every day, I'm sure you'll notice that as well."
"I hope so," he grimaced. In the silence that followed, Draco's eyes once again found their way to the curious pile of papers on the table, something that Lucius did not fail to see.
"The announcement," he answered Draco's impending question. "Your mother wanted to make it public after she told you, for the sake of preserving what's left of this family's image and to dispel rumors and the like, you understand. Of course that didn't stop some of them…"
Draco nodded again. He had a feeling he knew exactly which 'some of them' the man was speaking of. As he picked up one of the papers to read what was being written about his mother, his attention was drawn away by a tapping at the large window. He and his father turned to see an owl, a letter tied to its leg and still pecking at the glass to declare itself. With a lazy flick of his wand, Lucius opened the window and unattached the letter from the bird. As he had expected, it was addressed to his wife.
As he shooed the owl away, he observed two more flying fast towards the manor, and what he assumed to be a third in the distance. He knew full well that rather few of the owls they would receive that day would be adding to the assortment Christmas cards the family had accumulated this year.
"I ought to alert your mother she won't be having the quiet morning she anticipated, with all these owls flying in…"
"I'll tell her," Draco volunteered, standing before Lucius had the chance.
Lucius was ready to protest before he realized just what it was his son was doing. "…As you should," he conceded.
Mere minutes later, Draco and Narcissa entered the dining room together carrying plates and silverware, the dishes of food she had prepared bewitched to follow close behind. The two of them set the table for three, and a wave of Narcissa's wand placed all manner of breakfast foods before them on the table.
"Draco, you've got a letter as well," Lucius told him, proffering it to him and offering the others to Narcissa.
Draco sat down to open the unexpected message. As he read, his features betrayed his surprise at its contents. "Mother, Father, I must have forgotten mention it, but there's to be a Christmas party at the Parkinson manor this evening… Pansy had invited me along with the other Slytherins; Goyle, the Greengrass girls, Zabini, and that sort, and her friends from outside of Hogwarts - all purebloods, of course… I had intended to ask your permission, but it… slipped my mind." Draco stopped there, fearing he would only make a fool of himself if he attempted to explain further; to mention that his and his parents' newly recast futures were all that had been occupying his thoughts since he arrived home.
Narcissa and Lucius shared a look that must have held significance for the two them, but meant nothing to their son.
"Of course you should go, dear," Narcissa approved. "You certainly deserve a chance to relax and take your mind off of things."
Draco gave her his thanks, and began filling his plate. Narcissa, meanwhile, held off on breakfast in favor of reading the letters she'd received, the contents of which she relayed to her curious husband and son. As anticipated, every one of them, even her continued correspondence with her sister, mentioned the public announcement of her condition. Mrs. Parkinson, Horace Slughorn, even Cornelius Fudge sent her their best wishes, and of course, their initial sentiments of surprise upon reading of her condition.
Over the course of the morning, many more letters flooded Malfoy Manor, and unfortunately, though not unforeseen, not all were as positive as the first few. Those letters, the ones that accused her of infidelity, that cast doubt upon her and her husband's ability as parents, and that questioned how she could justify bringing a new life into a world in which the three of them had taken so many others, were all immediately destroyed by Lucius himself the instant he recognized them.
He gave a discreet, somewhat nervous glance in her direction whenever another letter was opened. He hated seeing the look that came over his beloved when she read those falsities and lies about her. However, in spite of that, he couldn't help but look forward to when he would see her dark eyes light up without her even knowing it upon reading something she particularly liked.
"Lucius, Draco, you won't believe who's written to us!" she said, just as surprised as she was pleased, the familiar brightness returning to her once more as she read her latest letter. "Potter!"
Lucius immediately moved to snatch it from her hand, but Narcissa refused him, turning away. "If you'd just be patient, Lucius, I'll share it with both of you….
'Dear Mrs. Malfoy,
First of all, congratulations to you and your husband! When Mrs. Weasley told us the news, I have to say, none of us were expecting to hear it. I took it as an indication that you and your family are recovering well after everything - I hope I'm right in that assumption; the three of you deserve it just as much as anyone else. I'm sure you've gotten a ton of letters like this by now, but I wanted say that knowing you as I know you, you'll be a fantastic mother (though I don't at all mean to imply you aren't already) and raise your child with nothing but love. It's thanks to you that the closest your child will ever get to Voldemort is reading about him in history books, which is something I and so many others are still grateful to you for, whether they like to admit it or not. Oh, and I almost forgot – I know it isn't my place to say this, and I don't at all mean to insult you by it, but I think it would really mean a lot to Mrs. Tonks if you allowed your son or daughter to meet her grandson one day.
Happy Holidays,
Harry Potter
P.S: No one I consider a friend believes a word that comes out of Rita Skeeter's quill.'"
Lucius and Draco were both silent, unable to find anything wrong with what Harry had said in his letter.
"That was kind of him, wasn't it?" Narcissa asked hopefully. Whether they agreed or not, neither man seemed keen to admit it just yet. She sighed and added Potter's letter to the stack of those she had decided were worthy of a reply.
"I'm glad to see that boy's giving you the respect you deserve," Lucius said finally with carefully selected words. "And as much as I hate to admit it, I have to say I agree with him."
Draco as well muttered words of agreement. He felt undeniably guilty that just four years prior he provided Rita Skeeter and that acid-green quill of hers with equally improbable lies.
"Well, be off then, you two," Narcissa announced, abruptly changing the subject in hopes of diffusing what was seeming to be an awkward situation, something she had had quite enough of already. "I'll clean up the table and get started on all of these letters I ought to write."
Draco and Lucius exchanged a brief glance at one another, and did as they were told.
By the time evening fell, there was not an owl to be seen flying near Malfoy Manor. All three of its residents were thankful to enjoy a quiet Christmas Eve together at home, at least until it came time for Draco to leave.
"Lucius, do you think we should give it to him now…? I mean, after the shock we gave him when he arrived the other night, and after what you said you talked to him about, I feel it might be good for him, and he is going out soon…" Narcissa whispered as her son was busy getting ready.
"I think that's a wise choice, just so long as you're the one to give it to him."
Narcissa quickly retrieved a long, giftwrapped box with a green ribbon tied around it, forming an elaborate bow at the center. "I just hope it really is the best time…"
"It is," Lucius assured. "Draco could use the reinforcement now, and at the very least I'm sure it'll give him that, especially when those friends of his ask the inevitable questions about you."
Narcissa realized he was correct; that Draco's friends would ask about her condition, something Draco himself wasn't even entirely comfortable with yet. In those times in particular, their gift to their son, she felt, would reaffirm their faith and trust in him, as well as his status as the Malfoy family's scion in a way that words could not.
When Draco came to the base of the winding staircase, he was surprised to find his parents waiting for him.
"Draco," Narcissa started, "before you go tonight, your father and I thought you should have this. We planned to give it to you tomorrow morning, but since you've got an event to attend tonight…"
"Thank you…" he said, but accepting the box from her. He undid the bow and gingerly opened his gift. Though he could already guess at what it was, his eyes still widened in surprise when he saw it. He withdrew from the box a snake-shaped silver cane, encrusted with diamonds and emeralds that was similar, yet not identical, to the one his father used to carry.
He looked from Narcissa to Lucius, as if unsure that it was truly all right to accept such a thing.
"As the heirloom that should have been yours was destroyed in the war, we hoped you may start a new family legacy, so to speak, with this one; one that's not marred by the mistakes of your ancestors," Lucius explained.
Draco opened his mouth to speak but had trouble finding the words. "Father… I-it's really okay…? Even though…?" He couldn't help but steal a quick glance toward his mother.
"Draco, even if it should be that you are not my only son, you will always be my first. It's yours."
The boy looked down at the gift again, then back at his parents. They had been correct; simply receiving it, he felt foolish for ever having doubted their faith in him, and even more so for doubting himself. For him, it was at the same time a symbol of the ancient family he would soon be called the head of, and the ways that that family had transformed; had morphed into something better thanks to the efforts and experiences of he and his parents in the war and the changed world that came of it.
"We're both very proud of you, Draco. We always have been and always will be. I hope that if nothing else, this helps you remember that," Narcissa told him with a kind smile. She stepped closer to him and embraced him as only a mother could.
"Thank you," Draco said with confidence when he was once again able to meet her eyes. "Both of you, it… It means a lot to me."
"We hoped it might," Lucius told him sincerely.
"Now, don't you have someplace to be that it simply wouldn't do to be late to?" Narcissa asked with a grin.
"Y-yes," he replied, a bit caught off guard, "I had come downstairs to tell you I was leaving, but..."
"You don't want to keep them in suspense, do you?"
For the first time in days, Draco was able to return his mother's smile. "Of course not." He wielded the cane as he had seen his father do so very often in years past, and shared a last look of appreciation with both of them.
"Have a good time, dear," Narcissa reminded, and with a final assurance that he would, Draco Disapparated from the manor.
"You know, Cissa," Lucius began after a short moment of silence, "earlier today I had hoped to talk to you regarding Draco."
"Oh?"
"Yes, however, I now believe that to do so would simply be wasting my breath."
They laughed together at his remark, and walked, slowly, to the manor's drawing room.
"I have to say, though, the two of you never fail to impress me."
"And how is that?" she asked, taking a seat on one of the room's black sofas, her husband following her lead and doing the same.
"I know it's hard for both of you, all of this about your pregnancy, but despite that, the two of you were so very natural speaking with one another in the end… I'm not sure I could do it if I were in either of your positions."
Narcissa shook her head. "I suppose it just came naturally. When at last I stopped worrying about what to say so as not to hurt him, or make him feel terribly awkward around me… Well, you saw how it was. But you never know, it could all change again by morning!"
They shared another laugh and Lucius placed a quick kiss on her forehead.
"So, do you suppose he'll take a fancy to any of them? These girls at the party, I mean." Lucius asked.
"Oh, I hope so. As I've mentioned before, I'd be loath to choose a girl for him after having married for love myself. But he is getting to the age where we ought to have some sort of route prepared should he not begin courting some young lady within the next few years, isn't he?"
"Well, it would be logical, to be sure… But for now, Cissa, I don't want you spending your holiday worrying over something like that."
"…You're right. Thinking about the marriage of one child and birth of another at the same time; it's much too troublesome!" she announced as she shook her head as if to banish the thoughts from her mind.
"Then for now, just think of this: Next year, we'll be spending our Christmas as a family of four; myself with my extraordinary wife, and our two wonderful children…My word, Cissa, I believe I await the day almost as much as you do."
Narcissa looked at him fondly. She enjoyed the very thought of it, and was overjoyed that Lucius felt the same way. She let slip a contented sigh and lie down on the sofa, borrowing her husband's lap for use as her pillow. Lucius made no objects, and began stroking her brunette fringe away from her forehead.
"Thank you, Lucius, for such a fantastic gift."
He looked at her curiously. "Cissy, I haven't given you anything yet. I planned to do that in the morning."
"You fool," she laughed. "I'm talking about our baby. I can't very well have done it alone, you know. That and I had to consider the possibility that you simply wouldn't be ready to father a child again."
He kept quiet for a moment. He simply couldn't tell her that he had often wondered if it were even possible for a man like him to ever be considered ready for a commitment so great. "…It's as I told you before, my love. There is a very large difference between asking me if I'd like to be a father and telling me that I am going to be one. It may not seem like it, but there is."
"I know, and I'm sorry. It's just one of those things one has to think about when they discover they're pregnant."
"I can hardly even begin to imagine."
They smiled at one another, allowing the more serious turn their conversation was beginning to take fade away. As Lucius continued to stroke her hair once more, Narcissa allowed her eyes to drift shut, enjoying his touch.
When she opened them again, she saw his blue eyes gazing tenderly back at her.
She reached up and touched his cheek, her other hand resting lightly on her stomach.
The look they exchanged then communicated just as much as any words either could have spoken.