Hey guys! Almost forgot about this but here you are. (Yes you'll hate Rita Skeeter even more. That pesky beetle.
Lots of love,
LM xxxxxx
Finally Belonging Somewhere-Part 16:
The Daily Prophet arrived at Hogwarts and Malfoy Manor the next morning and Draco and Lucius both read the same article. It was about the lunch in Diagon Alley the previous day
Malfoy Family Foster Child is Unsafe in Public
The Scared 28 Malfoy family recently fostered an 11-year-old orphan who they befriended on September 1st this year reports Rita Skeeter. Lucius,41, and Narcissa,40, instantly went to the Ministry of Magic where the Minister himself was involved in speeding up the process. The young witch, Aurora Edwards, was in the care of the Malfoy patriarch and his wife, formerly Narcissa Black and still a member of the Noble House of Black, by the end of the day.
Their son Draco, who has just been appointed a Prefect at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, didn't appear to be happy at first about the new addition to the family but appears to have adjusted and become protective over the young ward and has even drafted in Daphne and Astoria Greengrass from another Scared 28 family. The three, along with Charlotte Lewis, a fellow First Year Slytherin, are protecting the 11-year-old Malfoy foster child.
Mr. Malfoy and his wife have been frequent visitors at the school and Mrs. Malfoy was even seen carrying Miss Edwards into St. Mungo's a few days ago. This backs up the reports that the 11-year-old witch has a problem with her mind. Aurora has been claiming that she has been mistreated at her orphanage and at the hands of two Third Year Gryffindor witches, Natalie Adams and Chloe Daniels.
"She's lying because she's an orphan and thinks that everyone will bow to her because she's pretty," Adams said, "why would I even hurt or waste my time on her?"
"She always has been a loner and weird," Daniels said, "ever since she was able to walk and talk. She has a habit of stealing things that she's never been able to have. She lies all the time."
However Daphne Greengrass and her younger sister Astoria say different.
"Aurora has suffered greatly, despite people trying to say otherwise. All Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy are doing is caring about her wellbeing and want to get her better," Daphne said.
"She really is a dear little thing and she is not lying about anything," Astoria said, "she's just like a little sister to myself, Daphne and Draco." Young Mr. Malfoy declined to comment and led young Miss Edwards away as I tried to question her.
Yesterday Lucius and Narcissa were given permission to take Aurora, and Charlotte Lewis, to Diagon Alley as it had been noted that Aurora's second hand wand wouldn't work at all. The four instantly headed to Ollivanders where the wand was snapped in half and it was noted how similar to Narcissa's wand Aurora's new one was. The matter was labelled a 'coincidence' by Lucius before Narcissa spent some time with Miss Edwards telling her she could have as many books as she wanted in Flourish and Blotts. After the stop in the bookshop the four headed to a popular restaurant where the four had lunch.
Everything seemed normal until the young Miss Edwards went to the witches room and then, when she failed to return, Narcissa went after her. It was then that the matriarch was forced to unlock a door and retrieve her foster daughter from the floor and had to stop her kicking out. It appears that that wasn't the first time Aurora has kicked out like that. Narcissa calmed her down in a way that she obviously knew but it does raise the question of how safe is Aurora in public? Is there something more troubling going on that the Malfoys need to address because it's clear that Aurora Edwards needs to be controlled or even put into St. Mungo's before one of her mad and dangerous outbursts causes someone to get hurt. Is she a lunatic? Stay tuned for updates.
Lucius looked at the report before summoning his House Elf to locate Narcissa and bring her to him. The Elf snapped his fingers and soon reappeared with Narcissa.
"That bloody Skeeter woman! She's gone too far this time! Mess with me and say stuff about me but when you insult my foster daughter and call her mad? That is a line that should not be crossed! She talked to those girls and now Aurora is going to be seen as a lunatic who should be locked up!" Lucius practically shouted as soon as his wife had set foot in his study.
Narcissa didn't catch half of what he'd said. She just hurried over and read the article herself before standing there. Yes she was mad, almost as mad as Lucius, but she had to maintain some calm and levelheadedness to the situation.
"You need to speak to the Head Editor and get a retraction sorted and I will use the mirror and track down Aurora because this will set her back further," Narcissa said.
"Are you crazy witch?!" Lucius shouted, "how is that going to help matters?"
"Because you are the only one the Head Editor will listen to! I am the mother and I need try and track down our daughter and make sure she's safe!" Narcissa said, finally erupting causing Lucius to look at her and somehow calm down, "just get to Diagon Alley. We all love you," she said before hurrying out of her husband's study and to their bedroom. She was aware she'd said our daughter but she was their foster daughter so that wasn't exactly lying.
She hurried over to her dressing table and pressed the button on the mirror and waited. She'd made sure that Aurora understood to have the mirror on her at all times.
She had to wait for what felt like an eternity before Aurora finally answered. The first thing that met her was total darkness and the sound of crying.
"Aurora! Where are you? Why is it dark?" she asked instantly trying to keep her anger inside. Oh how she hated that woman right now for what she was doing to Aurora.
"I don't know. I saw the story and then all the whispering and I just ran. I'm a…a lunatic…I ran in here and the door shut and locked. I'm locked away and that's all that matters," Aurora said.
"Rita Skeeter is a nasty woman darling. She gets her kicks from making up nasty stories about people who can't defend themselves. You have Lucius at the Daily Prophet now giving the honest side of the story," Narcissa said, "then we will have to come up to the school and do damage control there."
"Just send me back. I'm too much trouble. I always have been," Aurora cried softly.
"Aurora we are going to get you the help you need. Nobody has bothered to help you. You are nothing of the sort. I'll be on the way soon," Narcissa said, "I won't switch the mirror off either."
"You need to undo this damage!" Lucius said furiously at the editor, "Aurora Edwards is telling the truth about what she's been through." He slammed Aurora's medical file down and watched as the editor read through it.
"I'm sorry Mr. Malfoy…"
"That woman spoke to the witches that have landed her in St. Mungo's! Of course they were bound to say she was lying. That's what they do! Now we, Narcissa and myself, have a 11-year-old witch who is probably going to be put back further in her recovery because of your incompetent reporter!"
"Mr. Malfoy I had no idea about the situation…"
"Clearly not!" Lucius shouted as he grabbed the file, "you yes you will sort this mess out in the Evening Prophet or the Daily Prophet tomorrow. If you do not rectify the situation then I will see that you are dismissed from your job!" He glared at the Head Editor before grabbing his cane and sweeping out of the office and apparating back to the Manor.
"Flower!" Lucius called, a little louder and harsher than he meant to before he saw Narcissa hurrying down the stairs.
"Lucius calm down. Aurora's still at Hogwarts but they can't find her…" Narcissa said. At the mention of Aurora Lucius finally began to calm down,
"What do you mean…?" he asked.
"She saw the report and ran off somewhere dark and she's been magically sealed in," Narcissa said before getting the mirror out of her robes, "Aurora I'm still here darling. We're coming now," she said before showing Lucius the mirror. Lucius just took the mirror and put it into Narcissa's robes before they apparated to Hogwarts and soon were hurrying into the Entrance Hall.
"We can't find her anywhere," Snape said, "the Headmaster is keeping everyone in their seats as he explains to them."
"I need Astoria," Narcissa said, taking the mirror out of her robes, "hold on little flower. I'm at Hogwarts now." Snape nodded before hurrying off and retrieving Astoria; Draco following soon behind.
"What do you need?" Astoria asked.
"Something of Aurora's so I can do a locator spell. She's gone silent. Aurora! Please say something," Narcissa said worried that Aurora had done something stupid. She was battling so many demons.
Astoria hurried back and Narcissa performed a spell before beginning to follow Aurora's teddy. Lucius, Draco, Astoria and Snape instantly followed.
"I tried to find her mother but she was gone…" Draco said.
"It's fine Draco we will find her and your father has handled the Daily Prophet," Narcissa said listening for any signs of sound out of the mirror but there was none.
Eventually the teddy stopped outside a room and Narcissa took the bear in her arms and Lucius stepped forwards and magically unlocked the door and threw a lumos maxima spell up into the air and Narcissa instantly grabbed Astoria's arm and hurried forwards once they could establish where Aurora was in the room.
"Severus I need something to wrap her wrist in!" Narcissa instantly called, "that hex cut on her arm has opened up again."
Snape hurried forwards and passed Narcissa a bandage before throwing off a second burst of light. Narcissa took Aurora in her arms and carried her to the Hospital Wing with Astoria and the others before laying Aurora down in a bed and pushing her hair back before breaking the connection on the mirrors. She then laid the teddy next to Aurora and got comfortable in the chair before Madam Pomfrey came to see that nothing was wrong with Aurora.
No sooner had she begun to do that Dumbledore himself walked into the Hospital Wing.
"I've explained as much as I can without disclosing information," he said.
"That's beside the point!" Lucius said rounding on the headmaster, "the damage has already been done. Narcissa and I want a room here at Hogwarts. We will just have to come backwards and forwards and possibly stay here sometimes…"
"Lucius…" Narcissa said, "keep your voice down. The last thing I wasn't is her coming around to you having a raised voice but yes a room here would be a good idea to aid her recovery." Lucius looked at his wife before going over to them.
"Why has she been knocked out?" he asked.
"The room she was in has a powerful sleeping charm on it," Snape said, "she will come around once her body starts realising it isn't in that room anymore."
Narcissa sighed before looking at Lucius,
"She said to send her back because she's too much trouble…"
"No. She's never going back there. They did this to her and we will undo it Flower. She can be the little flower because one day she'll be as beautiful as you and we will have our missing child back and they will be as handsome as me and you'll have Aurora and we will have a complete family," he said before looking up at Draco and Astoria, "we'll let you know when she's awake. You'd better get to class." Draco nodded before heading off with Astoria and Lucius went to speak to Madam Pomfrey.
To Narcissa's surprise the Headmaster sat down opposite her and made a knitting pattern magazine appear from nowhere as they waited for Aurora to wake up. Narcissa wasn't going to leave her side no matter how long that took.