Hey everyone!
Hope you're having a lovely month! The sun is finally shining here in the UK. Updates on here will become a little weird. I'm trying to catch up on my AO3 account so one fic will be updated once a week for a bit whilst I catch up on there. Basically I want all the same parts posting for all my fics on the same day so that's why the posting schedule will be a bit odd for a bit. Thanks for bearing with me. Big thanks to everyone reading this.
Lots of love,
LM xxxxxxxx
Finally Belonging Somewhere-Part 7:
Narcissa had walked to the Prefects' bathroom remembering where it was from her time as a Prefect and then Head Girl keeping Aurora close and held her wand raised just in case anyone tried to get to Aurora in any way. She rounded the corridor with Aurora and saw her son's blonde hair and Astoria and the two looked deep in conversation.
"What's happening?" Aurora asked.
"Well it's clear you've been using that perfume because you're afraid of having a bath…" Narcissa said before Aurora stopped, "Aurora…?"
"No! No baths," the 11-year-old said, "please don't make me."
"Astoria is coming too," Narcissa said softly.
"You lied to me. They're right. I am stupid and a baby and a waste of space," Aurora said before Draco said the password and Narcissa quickly got herself and Aurora inside with Astoria following behind.
"Start running the bath Astoria please," Narcissa said before crouching down in front of Aurora, "you are none of those things Aurora. You are a beautiful young witch and one day you will see it. One day you'll blossom into a beautiful flower and have boys wanting to dance with you and sweep you off your feet like Lucius did with me." Aurora shook her head,
"No because I'm not like you. I deserve to be punished."
"Punished for what?" Narcissa asked.
"Being me," Aurora whispered as Astoria joined them.
"It's ready Narcissa," Astoria said softly.
"I don't want a bath," Aurora said, "please don't make me." Astoria looked,
"It's a little well improper but how about I have a bath with you?" she asked, "we just want to help you Aurora but we can't help you if you don't let us in."
Aurora had completely closed herself off and was curled up in a ball trying not to listen and debating whether to run away or not. She didn't believe a word they were saying.
"Go and get in Astoria and once you're in I'll see if I can get her over," Narcissa said before turning back to Aurora and making sure she didn't see anything before hearing Astoria get in the bath and was soon buried in bubbles.
"Would you like to see the bubbles?" Narcissa asked softly and Aurora could see the bubbles and nodded. Narcissa just picked Aurora up and carried her over to the bath and let her put her hands in the bubbles. She'd always loved bubbles and began to play around with them in her hands.
Because it was the weekend and she didn't go outside so she was wearing a skirt and socks so Narcissa managed to look at Aurora's legs and could see hex scars and a bruise that was just fading.
"Would you like to get in the bubbles? Astoria put a lot in for you," she asked. Astoria smiled and blew some bubbles and Aurora leaned forwards to catch them but screamed as she fell into the bath and sank under the water. Astoria quickly got Aurora's head out from under the water and Narcissa quickly got her out as Aurora choked on the water.
As soon as Aurora stopped choking Narcissa didn't even give Aurora time to react and she got the witch's shoes and clothes off and had to bite her lip as everything she and Lucius had suspected was true. Aurora was underweight and Narcissa could see all the trips to St. Mungo's on her body and a few hex marks that looked fresh.
She picked her up and carefully put her in the bath and watched as Aurora just sat there. Astoria and Narcissa looked at each other and wondered how they were going to deal with this before Narcissa grabbed Aurora's wash stuff and cast a waterproof spell on her clothes before she began to wash Aurora gently. The witch jumped and to move away but Astoria stopped her.
"You're safe here Aurora," she said softly.
"Nobody's going to push me under?" Aurora questioned.
"No darling," Narcissa said softly beginning to wash Aurora's arms, "we aren't going to push you under. Is that what they did to you?" Aurora just nodded.
Narcissa carried on washing Aurora. She knew Lucius wouldn't be happy with how things looked but she had to get Aurora to trust her. It was the only way.
"Did you end up in St. Mungo's because of those girls?" Astoria asked as Narcissa had started washing Aurora's hair. Aurora nodded and just looked up at Narcissa, her blue eyes full of sadness and hurt. The matriarch could see the suffering and looked at Astoria.
"The healer is just outside. Can you get sorted and then let the Healer in while I finish with Aurora?" she asked. Astoria nodded and got out of the bath and quickly got dressed and Narcissa finished washing Aurora's hair before just letting the witch play with the bubbles. Narcissa could see that bubbles would be a way to connect with Aurora.
She got her wand and made some large floating bubbles using a non-verbal spell so Aurora could reach up and pop the bubbles. She saw the Healer walk in and made Aurora look at her.
"The Healer here wants to have a look at you but I will hold your hand the whole time Aurora. I'm not going to going to leave your side and I'll cast a heating charm to keep you warm," Narcissa said softly and Aurora nodded and looked at Narcissa, "now are you getting out yourself or do you want me to lift you out?"
To her surprise Aurora stood up and Narcissa helped her out of the bath and instantly cast a heating charm over the witch before holding her hand and letting the Healer walk over to them. She kept talking to Aurora but couldn't take her eyes off the damage on Aurora's body. The witch had clearly been let down by the system.
Eventually the Healer finished and said she'd meet Narcissa in Dumbledore's office. Narcissa nodded before she got Aurora dressed again and wondered why the 11-year-old was so quiet; she looked down and discovered that Aurora had fallen asleep. She summoned a House Elf and ordered it to return Aurora and Astoria's things to the dungeons before she headed to the Headmaster's office and saw Lucius, the Greengrass sisters, Draco and Dumbledore all there. The Headmaster was talking to the Healer and Narcissa sat down with a sleeping Aurora in her arms.
Lucius instantly went over to his wife and looked at her. He'd heard from Astoria what she'd seen and Narcissa just held Aurora close and tight; her protective motherly instincts taking over.
"She's…" Narcissa tried to speak but couldn't as the door to the office opened and in walked Snape. He had been summoned as a close family friend and Draco's godfather.
"Well my assessment on Miss Edwards here is that she has been tormented by those girls for a long time and has been failed by the very system that should have been protecting her," the Healer said, "some of these simple hex marks were made right before she started Hogwarts. I couldn't get her to talk to me but I know Mrs. Malfoy has managed to get a few answers."
"Darling?" Lucius questioned as he sat on the arm of his wife's chair. Narcissa sighed before beginning to tell what she'd managed to get out of Aurora, "we are suing that orphanage for what has happened to Aurora. No child should have to go through what she has. Look at her. The endless trips to St. Mungo's should have raised questions."
"Lucius, yes the orphanage will be sued but talking like this isn't going to help Aurora. She needs proper help and we have to come and see her and Draco regularly. Daphne and Astoria know everything so they will help Draco…" Narcissa said.
"And Charlotte Lewis," Draco said, "a girl who shares the same dorm and is in all Aurora's classes. She knows about us fostering her." Lucius listened to his wife and son,
"OK. I want to remain here this weekend whilst Severus gives her some treatments and I want Dumbledore to extract some memories so we can see for ourselves what she's been through. Someone has to fight and end her suffering and that is here and now because I, Lucius Abraxus Malfoy, will not rest until Aurora has justice for what has happened to her," Lucius said before watching as Narcissa rested her hand on his before Astoria, Daphne and finally Draco rested their hands on top.
A star appeared and one on Aurora's hand as Narcissa still held the sleeping witch's in her own, each knowing that a pact had been made; one to save Aurora and get revenge for all her years of suffering because finally someone had rescued her. Lucius looked at his wife and he was met by a determined look that said Narcissa wasn't going to let Aurora go anytime soon and Lucius didn't want her to. They lost one child and they weren't going to lose another. He was going to make sure Aurora stayed with them no matter what was thrown at them.