! This chapter is written from Narcissa's perspective !
- The Hospital Wing, 26th of June 1995 -
"Cissy, wake up."
The voice called to her from a distant dream. Her husband? No. That was no longer possible. She had no husband. Long gone was the boy she'd once cherished at Hogwarts. In his place, a monster had appeared. A foul creature deceived and seduced by darkness. Narcissa Black would never again hear that man speak in her dreams. He could only fuel her nightmares now.
A gentle touch on her shoulder roused her, and the youngest Black sister jolted, blinking rapidly as she took in the reality she'd found herself in. The hospital wing. Draco.
"Andy," she exhaled, looking up into her sister's eyes.
"Are you feeling quite well, Cissy?" Andromeda inquired, a worried look on her face. Narcissa knew that look. She was not just studying her with sisterly love, but also with years of expertise as a healer.
Narcissa straightened, the stiffness in her posture showing her discomfort. "I am managing." She sighed deeply. "The worst has passed and the tremors have stopped, though my limbs feel rigid still."
"Severus probably has some more dittany in his office," her sister suggested.
Narcissa's hand drifted to her temple, betraying her distress. She felt like she was about to have a migraine. Her thoughts were still so jumbled after what had happened last night, the events lingering like a shadow in her mind. Lucius had suddenly attacked her, and he'd said something to her… Straining to remember, she realised she was unable to.
Her eyes turned to Draco, lying vulnerably on the hospital bed in front of her. Hermione was by his side, her hand clasping his.
"If she isn't careful, she will end up exhausting herself," Andy softly admonished the teenage witch as she observed the two teenagers in front of them. "She's been at it for a few hours, according to Poppy. We both agreed to wake her up if we noticed it would become too much for her."
"Harry stopped by earlier and gave Draco some of his magic too," Narcissa remarked, rising slowly from her chair. She mentally winced at how graceless she was being. Feeling a slight unsteadiness, she accepted her sister's support as Andromeda held her by the elbow. "Thank you," she whispered.
"They must truly love him if they are willing to sacrifice their magic for Draco's benefit," Andy reflected as she led them out of the Hospital Wing.
"The lengths we go through for the ones we consider family can not be underestimated, dear sister," Narcissa answered with a hint of seriousness and wisdom in her voice. "You would have done the same for me."
"I would," she agreed. "Now let's see Severus. He's concerned about you, and he knows just what tea to brew to help with your bout of amnesia."
As they descended towards the dungeons, Narcissa's thoughts lingered on what she could have possibly forgotten. She could not shake the feeling that it had been… Important. Something relating to Draco. Andy had mentioned that memory loss was a common side effect of falling victim to the cruciatus curse. A shiver ran down her spine when she realised that this must be how the Longbottoms had ended up in the state they were currently in.
Andromeda knocked twice on Severus' office door. The man Narcissa considered her best friend opened the door wandlessly, and embraced her tightly as soon as it closed. Sev had never shown much affection towards anyone but Lily and Narcissa, so she was surprised he'd hugged her even though Andy was present. He must have truly been worried about her wellbeing.
"Cissy," he breathed with a sense of relief, a weight seemingly falling off his shoulders. "I am so grateful that you are alright. Please, have a seat. I've brewed you some tea that should alleviate both the pain and your memory loss."
Andromeda and Severus engaged in some small talk and discussed last night's events while Narcissa carefully sipped the hot tea. She smiled thankfully at the potions master when she felt the stiffness in her limbs subdue.
"Is it true?" she finally whispered, her mind clearer now than it had been before. "Has You-Know-Who truly returned, Severus?"
Severus carefully rolled up his sleeve, revealing his dark mark. The last time she'd seen that foul mark blemishing his skin was more than thirteen years ago.
"Lucius made sure the Dark Lord knows I am not to be trusted, since I am supportive of your son. He's put a mark on all of our heads, Cissy. You. Me. Draco. His friends…" Severus took her cup, filling it with more tea and a small spoon of sugar. Almost as if he needed to keep his hands busy so his mind would not get overwhelmed by this information. "The Headmaster has assured me he will do anything possible to keep them safe, but I suggest we take action ourselves. It might even be prudent to get Lord Black involved. The children will need further training this summer. More than they already have for the tournament." The potions master sighed wearily.
"You cannot be serious, Severus," Andromeda immediately interjected. "They have been working themselves to the bone this past year. Dora has told me they succeeded her and Sirius' expectations, but I don't think-"
"They will need to be prepared if they wish to survive," Narcissa cut in. Where had that thought come from? She shook her head, feeling another migraine attack coming. She grunted out in pain and felt her fingers tremble as she tried to massage her temple.
"The potion is taking effect," Severus urgently said, his voice merely a whisper compared to the hammer that was wreaking havoc in her mind. It felt as if her skull was going to split open.
Lucius.
Memories flooded back to Narcissa, piercing through the fog of her mind. Her ex-husband had haunted her nightmares, but what she hadn't realised before was that they had been real.
Andromeda knelt beside her, worry filling her eyes as she pulled her fingers through her little sister's hair, trying to soothe the pain. Just like she'd done when they were little girls. Just like their mother had.
Somehow, her thoughts drifted back to her mother. Draco had never met her since she died a few years before he was born. Druella Black, née Rosier, had suffered her entire life married to Cygnus. And the day her youngest daughter married Lucius, Druella had warned Narcissa about her fiancé. A man too proud, too vain, and too ambitious to ever truly love his family. That's what she'd said about him. If only she had listened to her then. But of course, then Draco would never have been born, and her son was after all-
No.
Her fingers stopped trembling, and tears welled up in her eyes. Of course. How could she have forgotten Lucius' threats after he had managed to break into her mind while she was suffering from the cruciatus curse? He knew what her son was. Merlin. No.
"He knows," she whispered to the two people she trusted most in this world.
"Who knows what, Cissy?" Andy asked softly, not wanting to add to the stampede in her sister's head, rubbing her back in soothing circles.
Narcissa hadn't noticed before, but she was sobbing loudly and gasping for air as the memories of the previous night once again occupied her mind.
"He wasn't able to break into my mind, so he tortured me to get a glimpse at my thoughts… He knows… My son. Lucius is going to kill our son!" she screamed in despair, losing all sense of composure.
Sev swiftly moved to her other side and grasped her arm tightly in concern. "What did Lucius see, Cissy?" he asked, his voice filled with worry for both his best friend and his godson.
"That Draco is a child of prophecy," she barely managed to whisper, struggling to regain her composure.
Andromeda's eyes widened in realisation. "You visited a seer when he was born? Like Black tradition demands?"
Severus let out a deep sigh. "So the celestial names aren't the only tradition in your family, are they?"
The middle Black sister shook her head. "We used to have seer blood run in our veins. But you know as well as I, Severus, what intermingling our bloodlines does with us. It makes us weak. Our magic gets diluted, and our gifts are lost to time. So, to keep both our appearances and traditions, every child born to a Black is named after the stars and constellations, as a homage to our seer ancestors. And after the child's first lunar phase on this earth, we have their future read by a seer. But it's usually just nonsense about their life such as if they will live healthily and wealthy. There hasn't been anyone since our great-grandfather who had anything meaningful-"
"Draco did. His reading was different," Narcissa finally managed to say. "I never told Lucius. But there was a genuine prophecy about our son. It's been kept at the Department of Mysteries even. If the Dark Lord and his followers get their hands on it…"
"I'll inform the Order," Severus declared, all business now. He realised the danger his godson was in. "They were already planning on protecting another, concerning-"
"The Boy Who Lived," Narcissa murmured, blinking rapidly as she remembered the contents of the prophecy she'd heard nearly fifteen years ago. "Harry. Of course. I never thought about it that way. It's Harry his prophecy refers to. How could I have been so stupid and overlooked such an important part!"
"Does Lucius know the exact contents of the prophecy, Cissy?" Severus urged her on, making sure she'd remember.
"He does not," she said. Both Severus and Andy let out a sigh of relief. "But he is aware it holds something significant. Something pertaining to the downfall of the Dark Lord… Now that he has lost his status in wizarding Britain, he must want to get his power back. What better way than to end up in his Lord's good graces, by providing him with the information he needs to win the war? He would do anything to regain his favour."
"And you truly believe the prophecy is key to defeating Voldemort?" Andy asked, her tone cautious.
"I'm not entirely certain," Narcissa admitted. "It has been years since I've heard it, and I had never connected the dots before I thought of Harry…"
"Would you be willing to share the prophecy with us?" Severus inquired. "Three heads are better than one. I was once prone to a prophecy concerning Harry," he admitted. "Perhaps, I can lend some insights?"
Narcissa considered this for a second. "Promise me, you will never disclose this information to anyone else," she stated seriously. "If I will have to stand beside my son's deathbed because either one of you accidentally let something slip, or was forced by Dumbledore to share their secrets..."
"The Headmaster would never-"
Raising her eyebrow, Narcissa immediately shut Andromeda up. They had seen the scheming Dumbledore had been up to, all for the so-called greater good. He was not to be trusted, even if he was a powerful ally to have.
"Cissy is right, Andromeda" Severus sighed. "I am willing to make an unbreakable vow. Are you?"
After the three of them had pledged never to share the contents of the prophecy with anyone else without the others' permission, Narcissa took a deep breath and closed her eyes, recalling the seer's words. She cleared her throat and recited the prophecy from memory.
In twilight's embrace, as day greets night's face,
your sister's blade seals your son and his beloved's fate.
A dragon, now free from darkness, will become destiny's slave.
Time's fabric shall tear and will be his to repair.
He will be the one to lead the Boy Who Lived to the power he knows not,
but it will guide your son to be in his family's web, intricately caught.
If his power is increased, he shall break his shackles and free the beast.
But should darkness seduce, and his heart it encases,
naught but ash remains, lost to time's embraces.
"So it is true," Severus mused, pacing back and forth as he replayed the prophecy's content in his mind, pondering the words carefully. "The 'power he knows not' truly does exist. Harry will find some way to defeat the Dark Lord… And Draco will play a crucial role in guiding him to it. No wonder Voldemort would want him dead if he learned of this. 'The power he knows not' is what the prophecy between him and Harry is based on after all."
"If I may be so bold to intrude on this meeting," a familiar voice echoed in Narcissa's mind, interrupting their discussion.
"Deandra, of course, you are welcome to join us," she assured the spirit.
The silver ethereal being that joined the three Slytherins made Andromeda stammer. "You," she said, pointing her finger at Deandra before she could introduce herself. "It was you who appeared on the grounds yesterday. I assumed you were a Hogwarts spirit when I saw you disappear in the distance as we ran out to come and help Draco. But you're bound to Narcissa? Sister, where in Merlin's pants did you find yourself an ancient spirit?" The surprise on her face was evident.
The defender of man chuckled, a soothing hum that filled all of them with happiness. "We're roommates, your sister and I," she answered Andromeda. "Both of us were graciously provided with accommodation by the Lord of Malfoy Manor. It is wonderful to finally meet you, Andromeda. Cissy has told me all about you."
The four of them spent the rest of the afternoon using their Slytherin scheming and cunning to the best of their abilities. They agreed that Draco was still recovering, and should be spared the burden of the prophecy for the time being. At least for now. He still needed rest, and they felt that all of the children deserved a break after the year they'd had.
When Narcissa finally returned to the Hospital Wing, she was touched to see Harry had taken over Hermione's duty and was seeping part of his magic into Draco, helping his best friend heal.
"Harry," she smiled at the boy, putting her hand on his unruly head of hair lovingly. "Have you finally managed to persuade Hermione to rest?"
The teen nodded. "I told her I would take over the guarding and healing duty tonight. She shouldn't be straining herself."
"Neither should you," Narcissa softly admonished him as she noticed the tiredness on his face. "Both of you should get some rest, Harry. Go to your dorms and spend the night relaxing with Blaise and Theo. I will take care of Draco."
He seemed uncertain. "Are you sure? Uncle Remus told me you suffered a Cruciatus curse. I wouldn't want you to-"
"And what have you suffered, dear?" she knowingly said, her eyes glancing at his arm, an ugly and protruding scar blemishing his skin.
Harry deflected her gaze, not wanting to share his inner turmoil. "Sirius, Amelia, and I, have agreed to talk about the events when everyone is feeling better. Now that the adrenaline from the night has disappeared, I realise the horrors I've been through. Both me and Ced could have died… The only good thing that came out of the tournament was that we captured Pettigrew," he admitted.
She crouched before the teenage boy. His hair was the same shade as her own, showing the Black heritage he'd gotten through his father. But they had something else in common.
"Harry, do you remember back in your first year," she began as she took his hand in hers, turning his arm so she could examine the scar properly. "The day we went to take your heritage test, it showed your mother's magical lineage, did it not?"
The Boy Who Lived nodded, unsure where she was going with this. "Mum was a descendant of the Spellman family, but also the Bones and Rosier families," he answered.
"My mother was Druella Rosier," Narcissa answered softly, making his eyes widen. "Which means that apart from Black blood we both share a piece of the magic that was in her."
She took out her wand and ran it over his scar, murmuring a spell, making it fade away.
"Rosier family magic," she winked at him as he looked at his unblemished skin in awe and then up to her. "Our mother would never allow her daughters to be marked by our past mistakes. I once hit my head on the edge of the table and it left the tiniest scar on my eyebrow. She even removed a tattoo Andy had gotten while getting drunk in the muggle world on her sixteenth birthday. If our father had ever learned of her transgressions…" A sigh escaped her lips, reminiscing about her teenage years. "This was the only family spell she ever shared with me, and it only works on those with Rosier blood."
"Thank you, Lady Malfoy-Black," Harry said sincerely.
She scowled at him. "It's Narcissa, Harry. No need for all that stiff serious business around me. You and Draco are like brothers after all."
He rubbed his head sheepishly. "I've never gotten leave to address you as such, not after Lucius scolded me for doing it once," he admitted.
"I'm sorry he made you feel unwelcome in our home," she said sincerely. "You especially, should be able to feel welcome with your friends, my dear. It was not for nothing that me and Jean did everything we could to get you away from the Dursleys. You're our family, Harry. Both mine and Draco's. Not just because we share Black or Rosier blood, but also because we see you as one of our own, because of the bonds we've formed along the way. Do never underestimate our love for you."
With a newfound sense of belonging, Harry nodded, a sense of relief washing over him.
"I'm out for one day, and you already managed to wrap my Mum around your finger, Potter," a tired voice said beside them. "What's next? Should I be offering my rooms to my long-lost brother?"
Both Narcissa and Harry smiled at the blond teen looking at them teasingly from his hospital bed, happy that he had finally woken up after the horrors he'd endured.