Ch 38 Narcissa Malfoy and Arthur Baker
Monday March thirteenth Arthur Baker met Audrey and Percy in the kitchen of the Weasley home.
"Breakfast and dinner at the Malfoy home?" Audrey asked as Arthur headed for the Floo.
"I enjoy the mealtime conversation," Arthur replied.
"Better than the icy silence I remember around our table," Audrey sighed. "Did it get any better over the years after I left?"
"Worse," Arthur responded. "I would try to start a conversation, but they never went anywhere. Eventually you just give up. She didn't want to talk about what she did, not that she ever did much except clean and do a little cooking, and she never expressed any interest in what I was doing. Eventually you just give up."
"You just ought to move in with Narcissa, dad," Audrey suggested.
"I can understand why witches say the middle trimester is the best," Rose remarked as she entered the dining room, her hands moving over her expanding form. "You are not so big and awkward, but your body is growing this new person in you, and it really is amazing."
"I'm sorry if you are feeling awkward," Scorpius replied, giving Rose a little kiss. "I think this pregnancy stuff is rather amazing too." He turned to Arthur. "Did you enjoy feeling the baby move when Phyllis was pregnant."
"Oh, she never let me touch her," Arthur replied. "She complained through the whole pregnancy. Everything about bodily functions was shameful and painful. I never saw her nurse Audrey, but she was always reluctant to even let me touch the baby as if I would corrupt her or something. I didn't change a nappy until little Molly was born, and we were at Audrey's house. Percy insisted on showing me how. I guess the Weasley husbands had insisted on teaching him. When I did and we were home she tore into me for changing a nappy, like a wizard should not touch a baby, not like that."
"Well, you can change Elanor's nappies," Rose huffed. "All the men in the family change nappies."
Tuesday March fourteenth Narcissa and Arthur Baker sat next to each other in the living room of Malfoy Manor after dinner. More often than not Arthur and Narcissa had been spending time together after their workday, not talking about work but just talking, sometimes just enjoying being together, before Arthur left for his room with his daughter Audrey and her family. About once a week they had even left before dinner for a restaurant, something he had never been able to do with Phyllis.
"When they examined the marriage documents of Draco and Astoria," Narcissa explained, "they discovered that because Astoria never really accepted the physical part of marriage the marriage was not consummated, despite the pregnancies.
"Is your marriage valid, Arthur?"
"It doesn't feel like it," Arthur admitted. "It is not just the lack of sex, although … I'm embarrassed to talk about it, really. But in some ways it is the lack of everything else. She doesn't want the house messed up. I think for most of our marriage I've felt like an unwelcome guest in that house. And she sure doesn't want the granddaughters over there messing it up, like normal children do. She didn't ever feel comfortable having me hold our daughter or the granddaughters, and … it just wasn't comfortable.
"Plus she never wanted to go with me to do anything. She tried, actually was rather good, at making me feel bad if I abandoned her, but she never wanted to go out with me to do things. Never wanted to hold hands or dance or even take a vacation. Living in that house was rather like living in a prison. A very clean and neat prison, but a prison."
"Is she a good cook?" Narcissa wondered, thinking that something must have kept Arthur with her all these years."
"Not really," Arthur replied. "She does an adequate job of making the same few dishes over and over. I think she is terrified of anything new. I've really enjoyed the dinners here."
"Some of that is Cleo's doing," Narcissa admitted. "She taught the Elves how to make all sorts of meals, and they have become quite creative."
"You don't leave someone because they are not much of a cook," Arthur mused. "It's more the lack of talk, the fact that she doesn't treat me as someone she likes. It is like every man is horrible, but if I don't say or do anything she will put up with me. That's no way to live!"
"I'm going to call Hermione and see if we can check and see if your marriage is valid," Narcissa proposed. "If your marriage is not valid, or even if it is only sort of valid, you could move in with me."
"I think I would like that," Arthur replied. He wasn't quite sure why moving into Malfoy Manor would be a problem, although there would probably be some scandal associated with it. Even if they did nothing but talk, like they had been doing the last six weeks, it would be far better than trying to live with Phyllis, and probably better than staying with Audrey and Percy.
Narcissa placed the phone call. "Hermione, I'm talking to Arthur Baker, and we think his marriage may not be valid. His wife was every bit as reluctant to consummate their marriage as Astoria was, and there has been no intimacy since Phyllis was pregnant with Audrey."
"Arthur has the right to check, I believe," Hermione replied. "Those documents are almost never checked, but witches insisted on the magic because of some abuses in what was, in some places still is, a very patriarchal society. I will make some inquiries and let you know."
The next afternoon Hermione called Narcissa. "Can you and Arthur come over to the Ministry about four?" She asked.
"We will be there," Narcissa replied. She found Arthur next door in his office in the basement of Malfoy Manor. He was going over a large list of Magi and Elves who worked at the farms. She told him, "We are going over to the Ministry at four to look at your marriage documents."
They met Hermione at her office. She introduced them to someone from the Department of Mysteries and another person from the Records Department.
Arthur, Narcissa and the two Ministry employees went to the record's section, where they found the original marriage documents for Arthur Baker and Phyllis Butcher. Carrow Croaker, the Ministry Employee from the Department of Mysteries, asked Narcissa, "Is there a particular reason why you are here, widow Malfoy?"
Narcissa smiled a shy smile. Arthur looked very embarrassed.
"We have reason to believe the marriage may not have been consummated freely, even though Phyllis did have one child," Hermione explained. "It takes more than just the physical act, we understand, to consummate a marriage."
They opened the envelope, and Carrow looked at the document in the first part of the envelope. "It doesn't look like the marriage was fully consummated," he reflected.
Carrow looked at the back of the certificate. "Oh my!" he gasped. "Your honeymoon must have been somewhat of a disaster. There is more here than just lines indicating failed attempts at intercourse. There doesn't even seem to be any comfortable intimacy."
"By the third month I was ready to ask for an annulment," Arthur replied, "but then she was pregnant, and she begged me to stay because of our child."
"The spells connected with these marriage documents can be very intrusive," Carrow observed. "I have only seen a very few in all my years at the ministry. Normally there is so much writing on the back that any detail is lost. If Harry and Ginny Potter do it even a fraction of as often as they hint at the back is just one blur of ink, and at some point the spell just stops working. It is really on theremostly to make sure the marriage is freely consummated by both parties.
"Your marriage license is about as clear as it can get for someone who has tried to consummate a marriage. I have seen a couple where there wasn't even an attempt at physical intimacy. More normally when we have a problem it is because the wizard is just raping the witch, but even when you know there has been much abuse sex and sexuality can get complicated.
"What do you want to do, Arthur?"
"I do not know," Arthur replied.
"To be perfectly honest, the reason for all this has more to do with inheritances and descendants," Carrow observed. "We have had a number of older couples decide that a formal marriage would make things more complicated than they need to be. If necessary you could have your marriage annulled, but I don't see any need to right now."
Narcissa and Arthur thanked the two Magi and left for Malfoy Manor.
After dinner Narcissa and Arthur retired to the living room, where with some prompting by Narcissa they began to kiss. It was some rather chase holding and kissing, although it was more than anything Arthur had done since some awkward attempts with Phyllis before they were married. Arthur sighed. Phyllis promised that it would be better after they were married, but it was worse. He should have asked for an annulment after the first month, or two, but of course everything is clearer in hindsight.
Arthur went back to Audrey's house, contemplating moving in with Narcissa.
Narcissa was, to be frank, quite horny and ready for sex. Her marriage to Lucius had started out reasonably well, and she enjoyed the physical side of marriage. When your spouse was in prison it was hard on the spouse who was not in prison as well.
Friday March seventeenth Arthur told Narcissa, "Since I have moved out I have given Phyllis forty Galleons about the middle of every month. Of course I pay all the other bills to maintain the house as well. Would you like to come with me?"
"That's not very much money, Arthur," Narcissa observed.
"No, it's not," Arthur agreed, "but Phyllis has always prided herself on living a very modest life. She's never wanted to spend money on anything, going places, entertainment. I think we have had more dinners at restaurants the last two months than I had in forty years of marriage. Phyllis did not want to spend the money."
"Oh Arthur," Narcissa gasped. She was gradually learning just how narrow a life Arthur and Phyllis had lived.
"Do you want to come with me?" Arthur asked again.
"Not really," Narcissa replied. "I will go with you as far as the house, but she doesn't need to meet me and I don't need to meet her."
"Why don't we eat dinner with Audrey and Percy, and then I will go over to my old house," Arthur suggested.
Arthur contacted Audrey, and it was agreed that they would meet for dinner. Both Narcissa and Arthur were concerned the rest of the day. They both knew that the meeting with Phyllis was going to be a tense affair.
At dinner Arthur told Audrey and Percy what he was going to do. "It is just harder and harder to see your mother!" he told everybody.
When dinner was over the couple left the house, both rather dreading what was going to happen. Narcissa stayed Audrey and Percy's property as Arthur went next door to his house. Arthur opened the door to his house and walked in.
Phyllis went out to buy groceries and other needed supplies once a week, always Monday morning. She had a couple of people she talked to, and one was a gossip who always tried to keep Phyllis informed of all the neighborhood happenings. Phyllis was shocked at far more than most people, and this fed her need to be disgusted at all the happenings in the world. Phyllis knew that Arthur and Narcissa had been seeing each other.
As he walked in Phyllis snapped, "Where is your whore, Arthur?"
"Here are your forty Galleons, Phyllis," Arthur replied.
Phyllis grabbed the money and screamed, "Get out of my house. Pervert!"
Arthur silently walked back to Audrey and Percy's house, took Narcissa's hand, and went into the living room. They sat down on a sofa, and looked at each other. "She won't even hold hands," Arthur muttered. "She hasn't let me touch her since she became pregnant with Audrey, not even to hold hands. And she called you my whore, like we've … like we've been …"
Narcissa held out her hand to Arthur and told him, "You can touch me, Arthur." They had walked a few places hand in hand, and even done some chase kissing, and the touch felt very good to both of them. Narcissa slid over to Arthur, put her head on his shoulder, and started to cry. "Oh Arthur," she sobbed as she held him. Both of them started to cry profusely. They held each other and cried for a long time. Finally, Narcissa reflected, "From what you have told me, I think Phyllis is almost as dead as Lucius."
Arthur responded, "Magi do not get divorced, and I will continue to support her, but our marriage has been dead for years. I'm not sure it was ever alive. It sure died after she was pregnant and stopped letting me even touch her."
Audrey walked in the room, look at Arthur and Narcissa, and asked, "Am I interrupting something?"
"Not really," Narcissa replied. "Arthur just took money over to your mother."
"And you have been crying," Audrey observed. She had heard them crying, and the tears were obvious from looking at them. "She was not a very good mother. Thank Merlin I had a grandmother and a father who would hold me and love me. I never got any love from that woman."
"I'm sorry," Narcissa sympathized.
"I'm sorry too," Audrey muttered. "I think I am just getting over her. The last couple of months I think I'm finally free of her sexual repression, and it's very nice indeed."
"Come home with me, Arthur," Narcissa pled.
Arthur looked at Audrey. "Go home with Narcissa, dad," Audrey agreed. "I have not seen Phyllis since the wedding, and I really do not consider her my mother any more. Merlin knows you both deserve some happiness."
Arthur really did not have many possessions. He had plenty of money in the bank. He just could not get Phyllis to spend any. He had a modest wardrobe of well-worn robes, a few books and legal papers. They all shrunk down into a couple of bags that Narcissa and Arthur took over to Malfoy Manner. Astoria was in the library, and Narcissa peeked in the door. "Arthur Baker is moving in with me," Narcissa told Astoria.
"Stealing my money," Astoria snapped.
"You going to change the messy nappies of this brat I'm carrying?" asked Astoria of Arthur.
"I love babies," Arthur replied. "It would be an honor."
"Still want to move in with me?" asked Narcissa.
"Absolutely," Arthur smiled. They went upstairs. There was a large center hall, with two bedrooms on each side of the hall, and in between the two bedrooms on the one side quarters for the Elves. At one end of the hall there were two doors.
Narcissa explained, "The two rooms at the end is a suite for the generation of Malfoy's that are having children. Scorpius and Rose are living there now. One room is the master bedroom, and the other a nursery, although Astoria lived in the nursery and didn't sleep with Draco.
"Astoria is living upstairs now. The grandmothers had, Mum still has, suites of rooms on the third floor, and Astoria has the other suite of rooms."
She pointed out a door at the other end of the hall. "That is my, now our, bedroom."
Arthur's heart skipped a beat. He thought Narcissa meant that he was going to be living in the same house as Narcissa. They had been, was it courting, spending a lot of time together. But he never thought he would be moving in to Narcissa's bedroom!
Not that he minded.
Not that he had any idea what he was doing. He and Phyllis had had so little sex, and it was so unsatisfactory, and so long ago, that he was terrified. At the same time, he was comfortable with Narcissa in a way he never was with Phyllis. Not that he was sure they were going to have sex.
Arthur followed Narcissa into the bedroom. On one wall was a large bed. Even when they were first married Phyllis had insisted on separate beds. There was nowhere else to sleep but together.
After Arthur had put all his clothes away they kissed, standing up. They stayed that way for quite a while, until Arthur's mobile rang.
Audrey told Percy after her father and Narcissa had left, "We need to get the book for my Dad. He has no idea what he is doing!"
"It comes pretty naturally, although the spells couldn't hurt," Percy thought.
"There hasn't been anything natural about my parents' relationship," Audrey complained. "My father is scared. I saw it on his face. He needs a loving woman, and he has no idea what to do. He's like a Kneazle who has caught a Dragon. We need to talk to your mother!"
Audrey and Percy went over to see Molly and Arthur. Molly could see the concern on Audrey's face and got up and gave her one of the patented Molly Weasley huge hugs, and Audrey hugged her back in a way she had not done until recently.
"What brings you here?" asked Molly.
"My father is moving in with Narcissa Malfoy," Audrey explained.
Molly cleared her throat, and gave Audrey a questioning look. "Your mother is still alive."
"That woman was never much of a mother," Audrey countered. "There is not a nurturing bone in her body. Nothing nice! She tolerated our little Molly but she does not even know Lucy's name! 'That other one' she calls her!"
"You've told me that before. That is so horrible!" Molly agreed.
"She has not let dad touch her, even hold her hand, since she got pregnant with me," Audrey continued. "She was cold and unloving when I was little, and she has only gotten worse. In all honesty, I don't see how my father has stayed in that house all these years. My father has been happier since moving out than I have ever seen him."
"I know," Molly commiserated.
Audrey was still standing next to Molly, and she grabbed onto both hands. "Mum" she said, "I really feel you are the only mum I have. My dad gives that woman money every month and comes back so down. He took Narcissa over today, and when they came back they both were bawling, crying their eyes out."
"What do you want from me?" asked Molly.
"The book," Audrey explained. "The book that you gave me before Percy and I were married."
"They are not married, Audrey," Molly objected. "They cannot get married."
"They can love each other," Audrey insisted. "My dad can sure not get any love from that woman who bore me."
"How long have they been having sex?" Molly wondered.
"Never," Audrey explained. "I sort of expect that once they are living together they will but," she looked at Molly and paused, "Well … they have both had such horrible experiences … and …," Audrey went back into Molly's arms and started to cry, just a little. Molly patted Audrey on the back. "I think my Dad's terrified. He doesn't have a clue what to do. You can't possibly know how badly that woman who bore me hurt everybody she should have loved.
"Please!"
Arthur and Percy were standing close, listening as Molly and Audrey were talking.
Molly held on to Audrey for what seemed like a very long time, as Audrey quietly cried and Molly contemplated this totally unexpected turn of events. She finally turned to Arthur and asked, "Can you get Arthur Baker on the mobile? Invite them to come over, and I'll give them the book." Molly rolled her eyes and shook her head like she could not believe what she was doing, continuing to hold on to Audrey as she was saying this.
Arthur Weasley took out the Wizarding cell phone that all Ministry employees were expected to carry and called Arthur Baker. "Hello Arthur … Audrey and Percy are over here, and they told us about you and Narcissa … We have a present for you, that you may want to have this evening. Would you like to come over here, along with Narcissa? Just take the Floo, Weasley's New Burrow."
Molly told Audrey, "This does not mean I approve."
When Arthur Baker and Narcissa came through the Floo, Molly led then into the private dining room that had been set up. Arthur and Narcissa had wary looks on their faces, and there was a lot of tension in the room. Molly brought out a copy of Witches and Wizards Graphic Guide to Married Sex, and gave it to Narcissa. "We thought you might want … might be able to use … Audrey thought it would be a good idea."
Narcissa looked at the book, looked at Arthur Baker, and back at Molly. She had started to tear up again. "Thank you Molly," she replied. Narcissa went to Molly to get a hug, and said again, "Oh thank you!"
"It's not like I approve," Molly muttered, after the hug, "but after all these years, lonely years for both of you, …," Molly kind of waved her hands like she had something more to say, but nothing came out.
"It's not like I entirely approve myself," Narcissa sniffed, looking longingly at Arthur. "It's just that, it is almost like hate is better than the nothing that's coming out of that woman. After what Lucius said to me about love not having anything to do with why he married me, and then talking to Arthur, it's like neither of us have really been married for years."
"At the wedding of the children," Arthur Baker reflected, "I had a brief moment of hope, and then was shut down, and it was like everything that had been broken for years came tumbling down. She never more than tolerated me, and that not nicely, even on our wedding night. You cannot loose what you never had."
Narcissa asked if Arthur and Molly could do the spells for sexual compatibility, and in the end Audrey and Percy said them as well.
Arthur Weasley looked at Arthur Baker and told him, "Come with me. I have a couple of things to show you." He led them to the bedroom he and Molly shared and summoned their copy of The Witches and Wizards Guide to Married Sex.
"You are older than when you were first married. All the equipment doesn't work as well as it used to. You need to use these spells before you make love."
Arthur Weasley showed Arthur Baker the spells he was going to need to use to make sure he could make love to Narcissa and not fade away too soon, including a spell for endurance.
"Phyllis always wanted everything to be over with as soon as possible," Arthur Baker admitted.
"I would assume Narcissa will be just the opposite. You need to be prepared to wear yourself out making her happy," Arthur Weasley said in return.
While this was going on Molly was showing Narcissa some things. Percy and Audrey found a way to roam to another corner of the house while the parents were talking.
Before Narcissa and Arthur left Molly told Narcissa and Arthur, "I'll see you here Sunday."
Narcissa and Arthur went back to Malfoy Manor with the book. Narcissa explained, "Molly showed me some spells I should use tonight. An old woman needs some help with lubrication and other things, and there are some spells that can help."
Arthur face became redder and redder. He had never been able to talk to Phyllis about sex. Well, he had never been able to talk to Phyllis about much of anything, which was almost worse than the lack of sex. "Arthur showed me some spells too. He said an old man needs help or he loses, he isn't as…" Arthur just had a hard time saying it.
"Oh," Narcissa replied. "It's just real frustrating when it doesn't last long enough. When, when you are just getting going and he lost it and I was left hanging and …" Narcissa looked at Arthur, held his hands, and insisted, "Use the spell or spells so we can take our time. The longer the better as far as I am concerned.
"I'll practice the spells Molly showed me, and then you can practice the spells Arthur showed you."
They were up in the bedroom, and Narcissa sat on the side of the bed and did the spells Molly suggested. She could feel a difference down there, and she was more eager for sex as well. She gave the book to Arthur.
Arthur did the spells. He could feel them working, and he had to adjust his boxers.
"It is warm," Narcissa observed. "I'd like to put something more comfortable on, and then I'll show you the house. Do you have something other than that robe to put on?"
"Not really," Arthur responded. He didn't have a job that put him in contact with Muggles, and all he had were very conventional wizard robes.
Narcissa went into her closetand came out with a very skimpy sundress. She took off her robes. Arthur looked away. Narcissa stood there in her bra and knickers. "You don't want to look at me? You are going to see more of me than just this before long." Narcissa kidded.
Arthur turned and looked, and stayed turned on. Narcissa twirled around showing off her entire body before putting the sundress. Narcissa certainly had enough figure to fill out the dress, and show some breast and cleavage.
They went upstairs, and she showed Arthur the suite that her mother-in-law had lived in. Astoria was out, but Scorpius did not let his mother lock her rooms. Then they went in to see Narcissa's mother. Her house elf was with her. She was reading something on a Muggle screen, and turning the pages by nodding her head. Arthur saw her back. The dress she was wearing was low cut in back, and there was no evidence of anything holding it up. It was obvious that she had lost all of her arms back to the very start at the shoulders. There wasn't even a hint of the stub of an arm.
Druella turned to greet her visitors. "Hello Narcissa, Hello Arthur. Good to see you. The Elves tell me you are going to be living with us.
"I miss sleeping with your father, Narcissa. Although," getting a twinkle in her eye she said, "it's probably less the sleeping than the things you do in bed that keep you from getting to sleep."
Arthur was still trying to imagine what was going to happen tonight. Without any shoulders Druella's bust stood out even more, and the skimpy dress she was wearing left little to the imagination. He couldn't help staring, at least a little.
That night as they were taking off their clothes Arthur was staring at Narcissa and she wondered, "Never see a naked lady?"
"Well, no, to be truthful about it," Arthur admitted.
"How did you have Audrey?" asked an astonished Narcissa.
"In bed, the sheets over us, the nightgown pulled up just enough and not a bit more, as she obviously and painfully put up with me," Arthur replied.
"And you did it like that for how long?" asked Narcissa.
"Six times, twice on our honeymoon, so she was married, because if the wife refuses to the groom can ask for an annulment, except as the marriage certificate showed I never really entered her then. Twice the first time she was fertile, and it wasn't much more successful than on our honeymoon, and then twice the second time she was fertile, and then she was pregnant and I was kicked out of the bedroom and was never allowed to touch her again, even hold her hand."
"Was her mother like that?" Narcissa wondered.
"Her father took his pleasure, as he called it, whenever he wanted, without regard to his wife. I blame her dad more than her mother," Arthur suggested, frowning.
Just seeing Narcissa in her bra and knickers had Arthur really turned on. When he straightened his boxers he realized that it was sticking up beyond the top of his boxers. If he took off his robes she was going to be able to see it.
Of course if, when, they got starkers she would see it anyway. See it and feel it and, Arthur had never experienced anything but the reluctance of Phyllis.
"Take off your robes, Arthur," Narcissa giggled. "Or do you want me to take them off?"
Arthur and Narcissa enjoyed the rest of the night as they learned how to make love as a patient loving older couple.
The next morning Narcissa and Arthur came to breakfast holding hands. "Arthur moved in with me last night," Narcissa announced.
"Into your bedroom?" Druella giggled.
A beaming Narcissa nodded 'yes.'
"Into your bed, into …?" Druella giggled some more.
Narcissa laughed.
"It looks like you enjoyed yourself," Druella smiled. "Welcome to Malfoy Manor, Arthur."
"Thank you, Druella," Arthur replied.
"I'm happy for you, grandmother," Scorpius added. "Welcome, Arthur."
"We need to get Arthur some nicer clothes," Rose suggested. "They should look like a prosperous professional couple." Rose then giggled, looking shyly at first Scorpius and then at the newly intimate older couple.
Narcissa reached for Arthur's hand and held it, smiling at him.
"Thank you," Arthur said. He looked around the table trying to think of what more to say, but words failed him. It was just too hard to process how welcoming this family was. It wasn't just the sex, although that was very nice. It was the conversation. It was that everybody seemed to like each other. It was just a comfortable home, not the uncomfortable house he had been living in.
2022