"What have they been doing to her, Remus?" Sirius Black, wide-eyed and pale, gripped the bars of his prison cell. His complexion was waxy, and his eyes were sunken and dark; already he had lost a significant amount of weight and he seemed greatly aged.
"I haven't seen her," Remus answered truthfully.
This answer appeared to anger Sirius at once. He hit the bars separating them and demanded, "Why haven't you been to her? I told you to go to her!"
Remus couldn't find a plausible answer for this. He frowned slightly and avoided Sirius's eye as he answered, "She's not my wife, Sirius. I did warn you…"
Sirius reached through the bars and grabbed Remus's shirt roughly, pulling him close to his dirty face. He had a wild look in his eyes as he screamed at his friend, "I would've done it for you! She's in that house, alone… with the Malfoys… my mother…"
"She'd be no safer with me," Remus defended himself vehemently, "You'd want your defenceless wife living with a werewolf?"
"You'd never harm her, Remus," Sirius spat back.
"You don't know that, and I don't know that. Regardless, it would only make her more of an outcast, living with me."
"Do you really think that matters? Get her out of that house!"
"I've been asking about her, asking to see her," Remus said, as if this justified his lack of action, "Lucius has invited me to see her."
Sirius stared at him, "And you're telling me you still haven't been to see her?"
"Not yet."
"For God's sake, Remus, she's pregnant! They won't just hurt her; they'll harm my child too."
"Sirius, I could never forgive myself if I hurt her, or your unborn child."
"She'd be safer with you than them."
"She's not safe anywhere in this world."
"She was until I was thrown in here," Sirius replied bitterly, "If you don't go to her, don't bother coming back here to see me."
"I will go see her," Remus said finally.
"When?" Sirius glared darkly, "Because you said that last time and you still haven't."
"I'll go this week."
"Do you swear it?" Sirius looked at him.
"Maybe," he looked aside as one of the Ministry officials, who had escorted Remus to Sirius's cell, was now approaching to tell him that time was up. Sirius swore and shouted several choice words at Remus as he turned away, shaking and kicking at the bars wildly, screaming. Remus didn't look back.
Eira did not hear anything for several days following her 'chat' with Lucius. Life continued as normal as it could for her; she stayed dutiful to Narcissa, helping her dress and undress, arranging her hair, fixing her clothes, and tidying her things. Neither of them spoke about that previous evening. Narcissa seemed in a constant state of anxiety, however, and did not like to leave Eira out of her sight for longer than a few hours. Eira noticed she was eating even less than usual, and she often retired for short naps in her room throughout the day, during which she insisted Eira stay.
"Dearest, don't think me selfish for wanting you to stay," Narcissa had murmured late one afternoon with her arms around Eira's neck, her cheek pressed to hers and lips close to her ear. "It's just that I am too fond of you."
Eira had not answered. She twirled the ends of Narcissa's hair around her fingers idly, knowing in her heart that embracing this woman was wrong, and yet felt unable to draw away. She loved Narcissa and the more she thought about it, the less determined she felt to leave with Remus, if he ever turned up. Their kisses and touches grew more heated each time they were alone together, doing only so much as they dared when Lucius was in the house. He prowled around like he was waiting to catch them up to something, even intruding occasionally on Narcissa's bath time, but was never availed of his suspicions.
It was another two weeks before Remus Lupin arrived at Malfoy Manor. Eira was in her bedroom inspecting the small baby bump, which was now giving her stomach a slightly bloated sort of look; the bigger her baby grew, the more she realised she couldn't ignore it. I am going to have a baby, Eira thought over and over again. Staying in this horrible house was not an option when her baby was concerned. Lucius might take it away; Walburga might harm it. A number of terrible thoughts occurred to her as she considered her future in Malfoy Manor with a small child.
Dobby came in to call her down. She felt an odd sense of apprehension and relief, knowing what she had to do, but she still couldn't make up her mind. This feeling was reinforced when she came downstairs to the drawing room and saw Narcissa's panicked face as she stood beside Lucius; Remus was stood a few feet away near a table, his hands in his pockets. Beside him was Astrid Riverblood, the young Hogwarts teacher, who had been at the dinner party. She had gold stars adorning her hair this time and was wearing a long purple dress with black fingerless gloves. She smiled at Eira as she walked in.
"I'd like to speak to Eira alone, if that's alright," Remus said to Lucius and Narcissa.
Lucius seemed glad to oblige and encircled Narcissa's waist, leading her from the room wordlessly. Eira sat down on the sofa and was promptly joined by Astrid, while Remus remained standing, looking like he didn't know what to say.
"How are you, Eira?" Remus finally asked.
"Oh, don't start with the formalities," Astrid interrupted, frowning, "You can see how she is."
"I'm fine," Eira answered firmly.
"Has that old bitch been back lately?" Astrid asked, "I met her in Diagon Alley last week. She said Lucius has been beating you."
Remus started at this, looking at Eira in shock, "What? Is this true?"
Eira looked down at her hands, feeling suddenly ashamed; she remembered Lucius's cold hands molesting her breasts the last time he had beaten her, how he had very nearly forced himself upon her through the false guise of a choice.
"Eira?" Astrid prompted her, taking hold of her hand.
Eira sank into tears and wouldn't speak. She couldn't bring herself to admit the truth. Astrid rubbed her thumb over Eira's knuckles and gently persisted.
"Eira, did Lucius beat you?" she asked.
Slowly, Eira nodded, keeping her eyes down. Astrid looked up at Remus, who was now beginning to look very sheepish over the fact he had left Eira here all this time.
"And I'll bet Narcissa didn't try and stop him," Astrid said to him resentfully.
"Leave Narcissa out of it," Eira now spoke up, her voice trembling, "she hasn't done anything wrong."
"Eira, when I saw you at that awful dinner party, she had you playing servant to her and was using you to provoke Lucius," Astrid frowned.
"No, she wasn't," Eira shook her head, "please don't talk about her."
Remus looked more worried as he observed Eira. He could tell plainly that she was keeping a lot to herself and knew it would be futile to ask her to divulge every detail of her recent experiences. This was a different girl from the one he remembered with Sirius; Eira had always been so happy and girlish, brimming with laughter, and had a terrible habit of gossiping. It was unusual for him to see Eira so quiet and forlorn.
"Sirius wrote to me," Eira said after a short silence.
Both Remus and Astrid started at this proclamation. Eira reached into her pocket and withdrew the dirty piece of parchment, handing it to Astrid. Remus hurried over to look over her shoulder.
"When did you receive this?" Remus asked at once.
"A few weeks ago," Eira replied.
Remus took the paper and examined it closely. It certainly looked like Sirius's writing, and it occurred to him then that he had seen Sirius writing on the walls of his cell with a piece of blunt lead. The parchment had to have been from the newspaper Remus had given him. He handed it back to Eira, still puzzled as to how Sirius managed it. In the few times he had visited Sirius, he had made no hint of planning to escape, but then that was probably a wise choice when the Ministry was surely listening to their every word.
"We're taking you away from here," Astrid said firmly, "Remus, tell Dobby to pack her things."
Remus swiftly walked off to call for Dobby. In the foyer, he was surprised to hear Lucius and Narcissa arguing terribly; Narcissa was crying hysterically, and the moment she saw Remus, she did not hold back.
"He's a werewolf! He'll kill her!" she pointed at Remus, imploring to her unmoved husband, "You cannot let her go with him!"
"Cissy, stop this at once," Lucius glared at her, "Go upstairs."
"No! Not until you say she will stay!"
"You are behaving like a child," Lucius snarled.
It unsettled Remus deeply to see Narcissa, a usually calm, proud woman, crying and screaming like this; and it was even more disturbing to know that Eira's impending departure was the apparent cause of her distress. Eira's dutiful defence of Narcissa also made Remus pause for thought.
"Eira," Narcissa rushed across the foyer when Eira came out with Astrid. The latter attempted to draw Eira behind her, but Eira simply stepped around her and took Narcissa's hand in hers. Remus and Astrid shared a puzzled look with one another.
"Eira, it's not safe for you," Narcissa implored, "you are safest here."
"Safest here?" Astrid interjected with a deep frown, "Were you aware Lucius has been beating her?"
"I—" Narcissa started, looking cornered.
"No, she wasn't," Eira said before Narcissa could sufficiently answer.
"Please don't go with them," Narcissa begged quietly and tearfully, gripping Eira's hands.
"Narcissa…" Eira looked at her sadly, "Narcissa, I'm pregnant. I need to do what's right for my baby. I cannot stay here."
"Pregnant?" Lucius started, narrowing his eyes on Eira, "Did she just say pregnant?"
"Yes, pregnant," Eira snapped, "I've been pregnant this whole time and by God's grace, your evil beatings didn't harm my baby."
"Walburga is going to love this delightful news," Lucius said sarcastically.
Remus drew his wand out and pointed it at Lucius, "If you or she come anywhere near Eira or her baby, it will be the last thing you do."
"Are you threatening me, Lupin?" Lucius sneered.
"Quite plainly," he glowered.
"I've heard that infants are a desirable delicacy amongst werewolves. Be careful, Eira."
Remus's eyes flashed angrily. He abruptly lunged forward, pressing his wand against Lucius's throat; Astrid quickly intervened, pulling Remus away.
"I'll have you both know I am a trained healer and midwife, and I feel I have a duty of care to all mothers. Do not start firing hexes and curses at each other," she said warningly.
Narcissa was stood aside with Eira protectively, having drawn her away the moment Lucius and Remus drew their wands. She stared at her, looking equally shocked and hurt, "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I don't know," Eira admitted truthfully, "I was scared."
"Scared?" Narcissa repeated, fresh tears welling in her eyes, "Not of me?"
"No, no, of course not," Eira murmured, feeling conscious of the fact they were being watched. "Please don't be upset… you're a mother, you must understand…"
Narcissa nodded a little. She did understand and knew she would've done the same thing if it were her. Lucius began complaining loudly about Dobby taking too long with Eira's things, especially given Eira didn't have much to start with. With this momentary distraction, Eira stepped a little closer to Narcissa, lowering her voice and speaking quickly, "I will write to you."
"Please let me know that you are safe," Narcissa held onto her hand tightly.
"I will be. Remus won't hurt me."
"I'll come see you," Narcissa replied hopefully, "and your baby."
"Yes," Eira smiled a little, though she wasn't sure it would ever be possible. She stepped back as Dobby appeared with her things tidied into a small bundle.
"Eira, let's leave now," Astrid said, gently pulling Eira away.
Eira kept her eyes on Narcissa's as she was drawn away by Astrid. She wanted to throw her arms around her neck and kiss her tears dry. It felt like a moment of heated madness when Eira did almost exactly that; she disengaged her arm from Astrid, ran to Narcissa and embraced her closely, kissing her wet cheek. With her lips to her ear, she then murmured a whisper only Narcissa heard and that was, "I love you."
She heard Narcissa whimper softly and felt her hold her closer, "I love you," she whispered back through the wisps of her hair, her hot breath tickling Eira's ear; Eira breathed in the scent of her floral perfume and the fresh soap lingering on her skin, reminding her suddenly of the baths she would no longer be part of, and the dressing rituals Narcissa took so seriously. Against all her better judgement, she wanted to stay with her. She sobbed against Narcissa's neck, uncaring of who saw or what they thought. Thus, it was with great reluctance when they finally parted and Eira walked out the door of Malfoy Manor, away from the man who had tormented her for so long; she was flanked closely by her saviours, Remus and Astrid, who seemed wary that she would run back in. They were deeply puzzled, if not troubled, by the display they had just witnessed.
Eira knew she should feel glad. It was all she had ever wanted since she first arrived at the Malfoy's, and she knew it was in her best interests for her baby, if for nothing else. But Eira couldn't help feeling the pain of loss – a second loss. Narcissa had comforted her, just as Eira had her, and both women felt certain nobody else could fill such a dark, hopeless void as the ones they were both faced with.