Narcissa sent Eira a note back swiftly to say she was coming for her that very afternoon. This hardly surprised Lucius but he desisted in making a snide comment, wishing to uphold his feigned excessive concern for his wife's feelings. He observed how quickly Narcissa dressed, amazed at how abruptly she was restored to life in anticipation of seeing Eira.
"Would you like me to come with you, my love?" Lucius asked as Narcissa buttoned her coat. He had just come downstairs to find Narcissa ready to leave at the front door.
"No, no," Narcissa answered quickly. "It's better if I go alone."
"Of course," he eyed her closely. Narcissa looked away.
"I shouldn't be too long," she said, picking up her handbag and gloves.
"I hope not," Lucius replied. He stood rather stiffly as he watched her, maintaining a cold distance between them.
Narcissa paused, twisting her gloves in her hands, and then took several quick steps towards her husband and kissed him lightly on the lips. He hardly reacted; his cold lips didn't kiss her back, and he merely stared down at her haughtily as Narcissa forced a weak smile and mumbled a half-hearted 'goodbye, darling,' before she disapparated in front of his eyes.
Eira was sitting in Remus's sitting room, wrapped up in an armchair by the fire, dazed and blank of mind. She felt both physically and metaphorically empty. She stared out the window at the tree in which she had buried her daughter beneath, watching the clouded grey sky and the first flakes of snow beginning to fall as the month of November brought an early winter. She held Narcissa's note crumpled in her hand, waiting, anticipating.
Remus entered quietly with a tray of tea, which he set down on the table beside Eira. He had been walking around the cottage with great trepidation since the loss, wary and unsure of what to say. He therefore consistently brought her tea and pieces of cake. He sat down on the settee and wordlessly began to prepare the tea for the two of them.
"Narcissa is coming," Eira said after a long minute of silence.
"Oh," Remus looked at her. He pulled out his wand and summoned a third chipped teacup, "We'll need another cup then."
Eira settled back against the cushions and didn't speak, resuming her watch of the sky and tree branches.
"Eira…" Remus said as he handed her the cup of tea, "You are better off staying here with me."
Eira looked at him. "Who said I was leaving?"
"I know you are very fond of Narcissa, and that she is fond of you, and I know that whether you've already decided to leave with her or not, she will very likely pressure you to go back with her."
"Oh, I'm tired of this," Eira said with a glare. "You and Astrid are always saying the same thing. I'm not a child, Remus, and nobody will pressure me to do anything. If I go, it's because I want to."
"Her husband could hurt you, Eira," Remus persisted. "It's not Narcissa I'm so much against, it's Lucius."
"I'll stay out of his way. The house is big enough."
Remus was silent for a moment. He sipped his tea, frowning, "What about Sirius?"
"What about him?"
"Eira," he looked at her seriously, "I'm starting to understand what it is between you and Narcissa."
"No, you don't."
"I just mean that whatever the nature of your relationship with her, it will do a lot of damage."
"What do you mean, Remus?" Eira fixed her eyes on him now, sounding impatient.
"What— or when, Sirius gets out, will happen then?"
"You and Astrid suddenly seem very confident about Sirius getting out."
"I've been to see him in Azkaban. A few times," he admitted.
"What?" Eira's tone and expression now changed; her eyes widened, and she sat up. "What do you mean?"
"He wanted me to bring you here to my home."
"You've been able to see him all this time and you never told me?" Eira's voice grew stronger as her indignation rose. "Why have you never taken me to see him?"
"I can't take you to that place," Remus shook his head. "I never stay long myself."
"Remus!" she put her tea aside angrily, "I want to see my husband!"
"No, Eira," he said firmly. "That place is filled with Dementors. They drive even the strongest witches and wizards insane."
"Is Sirius insane?"
Remus looked down at his cup for a moment, frowning. "I think the only thing that torments him is the thought of you here alone in this world," he looked at her again, "He loves you, Eira. All he cares about is you and that you are safe. He is planning something. Astrid and I have been discussing how best to hide him if and when he breaks out."
"You really think he will?" Eira stared at him steadily.
"I'm certain of it. But that's not the part I worry about," Remus answered, "It's the after. And this relationship…whatever it is with Narcissa Malfoy…"
"Will you please just stop it?" Eira snapped, "There is nothing going on. I love Sirius."
Remus sat back, placing his empty teacup aside. He watched Eira's face for a moment, observing the way her eyes flickered as numerous thoughts appeared to run through her mind; she looked worried, afraid.
"Does he know yet?" Eira asked after several minutes, speaking in a small voice. "About the baby?"
"Not yet," Remus shook his head. "I haven't seen him since…since it happened…"
Eira nodded. The quietude between them resumed for another few minutes until there was a light knock on the front door. Eira sat forward with a start.
"Stay there," Remus put his hand up to stop her from rising. He walked off into the kitchen to answer the door and a moment later Narcissa came in, hurrying to Eira's side. She held a bouquet of snowy white daisies.
"Eira," she breathed out, embracing her and kissing her cheek. Eira clung to her tightly. "I'm so sorry, darling."
Remus brought an armchair for Narcissa to sit in beside Eira. As soon as she was seated, she held Eira's hand and offered the flowers to her arms.
"I brought these for you," she said.
Eira had been numb with grief for several days now, but the offering of such beautiful, innocent flowers stirred something within her heart and she at once succumbed to tears. Remus stepped back into the kitchen, shutting the door slightly, but open enough to overhear their voices.
"I would've told you sooner…" Eira said tearfully, holding Narcissa's hand tightly, "But I couldn't bring myself to do anything for days."
"Shush, darling, you don't need to explain."
"I wasn't wearing the crystal you gave me," she sobbed, "It was my fault. I took it off to have a bath and I—"
"Eira, no," Narcissa said sternly, gently grabbing her chin and wiping her tears, "None of this was your fault. None of it."
"If I'd just—"
"Darling, listen to me," Narcissa held her gaze, "It wasn't your fault. That crystal wards off evil, but it is no guarantee of absolute protection. I should have done more. I should have put every protection spell I know on you and your baby…"
"I had a horrible nightmare," Eira recalled, "I can't even describe it to you… it just felt evil… and the voices were everywhere… and then I woke up and I was bleeding and had such awful pains in my belly."
"You told me you heard whispering voices that night you stayed…" Narcissa remembered with a twinge of guilt, "I didn't listen to you… darling, I'm so sorry."
"Don't be," Eira shook her head, leaning against Narcissa's arm, "That evil bitch would've found a way somehow."
Narcissa put her arm around her and rested her cheek against Eira's head, kissing her hair softly. Eira shook with quiet tears.
"It was a girl," she murmured.
"She would have been beautiful like you," Narcissa whispered.
"And she was only as big as my hand," Eira stretched the palm of her small hand to illustrate exactly how tiny her baby had been.
"I'm sorry, darling," Narcissa felt her own eyes pricking with tears as she felt and shared Eira's grief. She held her tightly, then speaking softly, she said, "I lost two babies before Draco, both very early on, but I have never ceased thinking about them. They never leave you. One was a girl."
"Did you name them?" Eira asked. She had been deliberating on a name for her lost daughter, hoping that with a name, her pain would somehow ease.
Narcissa nodded, "Elio for my first, who was a boy, and Belinda for my girl… have you named your daughter?"
Eira shook her head, "I hadn't… but I was thinking I might call her Rose."
"I think that is perfect," Narcissa smiled softly.
"I buried her under that tree," Eira nodded to the large oak tree visible from the window. The snow was now coming down faster. "Remus conjured some everlasting roses for her, hence the name. You can see them from the window."
Narcissa got up and went to look. A large pink rose bush, now coated in sparkling snow, was glittering under the old tree. Eira had marked the grave with a circle of stones.
"She will know you loved her," Narcissa said, forcing back her tears. "It's beautiful, darling."
Eira took hold of Narcissa's hand as she returned to her side, looking at her wistfully. "I want to stay with you."
"Then you will," Narcissa brushed Eira's hair back with her hand, "You can come home with me."
"What about Lucius?"
"He knows I'm miserable without you around," Narcissa replied, "He has said you may come back if you want to."
"He's not…suspicious, is he?" Eira asked nervously.
Narcissa shook her head. "No, of course not."
"Remus and Astrid are," Eira mumbled, looking down and picking at the fringe of the cushion beside her, "They don't think I should go with you."
"But what do you want?"
"You know what I want," Eira said, looking at her through her eye lashes. "The only trouble is that they are right."
"What do you mean they're right?" Narcissa felt a jolt of panic in her stomach and gripped Eira's hand tighter.
"Your husband could hurt me again," Eira replied quietly.
"No," Narcissa answered at once, "I won't let him lay a hand on you."
"And what if my husband gets out of Azkaban?"
Narcissa frowned, "That's not exactly likely…"
"It's more likely than you think."
"So, what is it to be then?" Narcissa tried to sound steady and detached, but her eyes gave away the fear she held, terrified Eira would abandon her.
Eira glanced at the half-open door across the room. She could hear Remus going up the stairs and shuffling above their heads as he reached the upper floor. Eira leaned in close to Narcissa and kissed her lips firmly, her eyelashes fluttering against Narcissa's cheek.
"In spite of it all, I only want you," Eira breathed out, speaking in a very low whisper. "I don't know what to do. I am forgetting my own husband because of you…because I love you too much."
Narcissa looked into Eira's shining eyes. Despair gripped both their hearts as they realised the impossibility of their situation.
"Come back with me," Narcissa said yearningly.
"And then what?"
Narcissa couldn't stop herself, being so close to Eira's face, and kissed her with deep intensity. "I don't know…I don't know…" she breathed between kisses, which Eira returned with fervour, pressing her fingers against her cheek. "I just want to be with you."
"I want to be with you too…" Eira murmured.
"So be with me," Narcissa replied. "I won't let Lucius hurt you. Please come back with me. We will figure it out."
"I don't see how we will figure this out, Cissy," Eira admitted, kissing her jaw, "But I will come back with you."
There was a tense feeling between Eira and Remus as she prepared to leave with Narcissa. Remus had expected it, but it was clear that he was disappointed in her decision. He dreaded more what Astrid would say and dreaded more what he would tell Sirius. The only thing he could think to tell Sirius the outright truth, that his wife was having an affair with Narcissa Malfoy, and hope it would drive him to break out sooner rather than later. The dangerous possibility of Lucius finding out was looming over Remus's head. He knew that Sirius would forgive her, there was no question; Remus believed, as he was sure Sirius would believe, that Eira's attachment to Narcissa was a result of the abuse she had endured. But if Lucius found out first, Remus feared the dire consequences she would face.
Eira apparated sidelong with Narcissa to Malfoy Manor, arriving in the entrance hall as before. Lucius was coming down the stairs as they arrived, shouting at poor Dobby, whom he had kicked all the way to the bottom. He paused when he noticed his wife's arrival, his anger suddenly changing to a sneer as he fixed his eyes on Eira.
"You were gone for some time, Cissy," Lucius said.
"Was I?" Narcissa said with indifference as she proceeded to unbutton her coat. "Dobby, find a vase for these flowers," she handed him the bouquet of daisies Eira had been holding. He nodded, his large ears flapping, and ran off.
"You must be very fond of my wife to come back here," Lucius said to Eira, walking towards them. Eira took a step back and Narcissa stood in front of her.
"You will not beat her. You will not touch her," she said in a firm, clear voice to him.
"Then you will need to keep her out of trouble, Narcissa," he smirked. His eyes flickered over to Eira and looked her up and down. "It's obvious now. You used to be fatter."
"Lucius," Narcissa narrowed her eyes on him, "I mean it."
"I don't care that she's here, Narcissa," Lucius retorted, "Just as long as it keeps you from being so fucking miserable all the time. I am sick of making excuses for you."
"Come, Eira," Narcissa ignored him. "I think a bath is in order."
Eira hurried behind Narcissa, keeping her distance from Lucius as she skirted around him. She followed Narcissa directly up to the bedroom, relieved when they were behind the closed door, away from Lucius's cold eyes, and able to freely embrace one another.
"I want to give you a bath this time," Narcissa smiled, pushing Eira's long hair back over her shoulder.
"Bathe with me," Eira murmured.
Narcissa nodded and gently pulled Eira across the room to the bathroom. She shut the door and locked it with a charm that couldn't be overridden, and then filled the golden tub with hot water in only a few seconds. Magic never failed to amaze Eira, who watched the water rising with great interest. She was so distracted she at first didn't notice Narcissa unbuttoning her dress behind her.
"I will look after you," Narcissa said gently, pulling Eira's dress down over her shoulders, which she then kissed.
Eira relaxed, shivering with quiet bliss as Narcissa's fingers trailed down her back to unclasp her brassiere. She turned around and slid her dress down, then proceeded to help Narcissa undress. They then got into the tub of comfortably hot water, Eira in front and Narcissa behind, who wrapped her arms around Eira and kissed her head. Eira leaned back against her shoulder, sighing softly and contentedly while Narcissa stroked her arm gently.
"I won't let anymore bad things happen to you," Narcissa promised.
"I don't want to think or talk about bad things anymore," Eira replied, turning her head to look at her as much as she was able. "I just want to kiss you."
Narcissa complied and kissed her, open-mouthed, lavishly, deeply, and Eira put her hands in Narcissa's hair as her body turned to face her in the circle of her arms. Their sorrows melted and their hearts lifted as they forgot the world around them, shifting into a world in which only they existed for a brief, but enthralling moment.