"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" Sirius asked in shock and surprise. He couldn't have heard that right.
"I want to change sides, Sirius." She said face firm. "I've realized these last years with the Dark Lord back that Draco means everything to me. I don't care what it takes. I will not let him kill my son. I've already been to Severus to ask him to help Draco with the task the Dark Lord has given him, but I don't know if it will be enough." She looked down into her lap.
"Cissy," She looked up surprised he would call her that after all these years. "What you know can be valuable to the Order…but…"
"I don't need to know anything about your plans, Sirius. You don't have to tell me anything and I will tell you all I know. I will tell Dumbledore…I only ask in return is that you can protect us." He nodded and looked down feeling something on his foot. Archimedes was there looking up at him. "Go get Minerva." He told the lizard who headed off immediately. It was only a few minutes when Sirius opened the door for her.
"What's going on? Archimedes told Donovan it was serious…Narcissa?" She asked quite surprised to see the woman there.
Sirius closed the door behind her firmly. "She needs to talk to you, Minerva. I would prefer she talk to Albus, but he is busy at the moment."
"Of course," she settled down on a chair across from the woman. "What is the matter, Narcissa?"
"I…we," she looked to Draco who squeezed his mother's hand nodding. He had his other arm around Kaeli. The boy didn't look too good. He had dark circles under his eyes and he was shaking. "We would like to change sides, Minerva. What the Dark Lord is demanding of us is too much…someone has to do something about him. I can't stand it anymore, not what he's demanded of Draco…" She actually burst into tears. "The strain is too much on him."
"What has he been asked to do?" The woman asked sympathetically.
"He's been asked to kill Dumbledore and to fix the vanishing cabinet at Hogwarts so that some of the Death Eaters might get into Hogwarts that way."
Minerva looked from Narcissa to Draco alarmed. "Is this true, Draco? Is that what you've been doing? The cursed necklace—"
"No," he shook his head. "That wasn't me. Someone else at Hogwarts has been given the same task. I don't know who…I think one of the other Slytherins, but I can't figure out who. I have been working on the vanishing cabinet in the Room of Requirement though. That's why I've been skipping classes."
She nodded, "So much to put on your shoulders when you're not even an adult yet."
"He said he'd kill me if I don't do this. And not only me, but Kaeli as well. That can't happen. Please, Professor…you have to do something."
"I understand now. I will talk to Dumbledore about this. I promise you we will do what we can to protect you, but there is something that you must do as well."
"What?" Narcissa asked leaning forward. "We'll do anything."
"You have to carry on as if you never told us this, as if everything is all right. If he guesses that you spoke to us then you are in danger."
"He won't know." Narcissa said firmly. "Draco's been working on keeping his thoughts private and the Dark Lord doesn't care what Kaeli or I are thinking. He doesn't believe we threaten him."
"That is fortunate. You will have to carry on as you always have, Narcissa. I know it hasn't been easy for you."
"It hasn't," Narcissa agreed. "But we do what we must. Thank you for listening to me. I had nowhere else to turn."
"Narcissa, you are never truly alone." She took a small knick knack off of a lamp table and tapped it with her wand. It had turned into silver snake biting its own tail. "Wear this. If you need help break apart the head and the tail."
Narcissa slipped it over her wrist where it shrunk to fit comfortably. She could barely feel it, but she was feeling much better now that she had something to help her.
Back in the ballroom Ginny wasn't feeling well and Donovan helped her upstairs to their room before going to fetch Molly thinking the baby was coming. Molly hurried upstairs along with Madam Pomfrey and Louisa. Louisa was looking forward to helping out. She'd never seen a baby born before…well, not with a witch anyway. She had seen and helped with plenty of House Elves births. Molly helped her daughter to swallow a potion that would help with the pain and relax her a bit. Donovan was waiting outside the door along with most of the Weasley family. Fleur and Mira went in leaving the boys outside.
The party was dwindling down as the hours passed by and when the last of the guests left they cleaned up and the others came upstairs to be near when the newest member of the family made its appearance. The girls were running in and out with water, towels, and other things they needed to get. Sirius sat down next to Donovan. "I remember when Erin was born." He told his nephew. "I didn't know what to do with myself. Ginny is in good hands. Molly's had seven children after all. She's an old hand at this."
Donovan nodded. "I just want her to be okay."
"That's all any of us want. A Christmas Baby is very welcome to all of us."
They heard some noise from the room and then the door opened. "The baby is here," McGonagall said smiling. "Both mother and son are doing fine."
"I have a son?" Donovan asked standing up and taking her hands.
"Yes, and he's beautiful. Ginny said to tell you she wants to name him after your father."
"Which one?"
"Xenus," she told him. "Xenus Arthur Lyancomp."
"It's perfect, when can I see her?"
"In just a few minutes, they're finishing up in there and then you can see them both." She said giving him a hug before slipping back in the room.
Those last few minutes seemed to take forever before he was finally let in. The other women left to give them a little while alone together. Ginny was sitting up in the bed, her stomach much smaller than it had been, though still distended a bit. She held the tiny newborn in her arms smiling down at him. He seemed to be sleeping as she gazed at him. Donovan came over and gently settled down beside her in the bed. She looked up at him looking as beautiful as always. Donovan looked down at the little boy, Xenus, his son. "He's perfect," Ginny told him smiling, "Right number of fingers and toes."
Donovan reached out a tentative finger to trace over the boy's soft, soft cheek. The baby opened his eyes yawning and stretching before opening up muddy looking eyes.
"Mum says that his eyes will become their true color in a few weeks. Would you like to hold him?"
He wasn't so sure of that, he didn't have much experience holding babies, but she was already putting the tiny thing in his arms. He didn't want to break the baby. They just got him, after all. Another stretch and he settled right down in his father's arms looking up at him. "Hey, there, little guy. I'm your Dad." All he got for his effort was a huge yawn showing a tiny pink mouth with toothless gums.
Ginny chuckled as he began fussing. "He's probably hungry." Donovan gave him back fast much to Ginny's amusement. "You'll get used to each other."
"You don't look as freaked out as I am."
"I don't have any reason to be. I have my mum, your mum, Fleur, Mira, Erin, Hermione…I have a whole bunch of people that are here to help me. We're not in this alone."
"I guess not," he said shifting his eyes when she started nursing the little guy. Ginny just thought he was adorable.