Written for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (challenges & assignments
Assignment 3 - Healer Studies - Task 1 - Write a fic with the genre hurt/comfort
Summary: What if Lucius Malfoy had died instead of the Potters? What if he wasn't the man everyone thought he was? And what if his one last act on this earth was to protect the other two people who had loved her for her?
Word Count: 2,257
We're Still Good Company
It started to snow on the first day of December. Light snowflakes that didn't take hold, but enough to make small children in Diagon Alley excited as they bounced on the tips of their toes trying to catch one on their tongue. The icy temperature saw their giggles become puffs of steam in the air, the cold not hitting them through their thick layers of clothing as they raced around, cheeks flushed.
There was a higher level of excitement for Christmas this year than had been for a while. Even the adults felt like children themselves, laughter readily available, as well as hugs and cheerful greetings to strangers.
Lord Voldemort was gone. Killed on Halloween while attempting to rid the world of a messy-haired baby by the name of Harry Potter, leaving a small lightning scar on the boy's forehead, and no body to be found. Some believed he hadn't been killed and would be back, but until proven otherwise, the Magical community were celebrating having their lives back.
Well, most of them.
Not everyone made it through unscathed.
Or alive.
Lily clutched Harry tightly to her as she walked out of Florish and Blotts with James. Harry stared up at the sky, blinking rapidly while the snowflakes landed on his chubby cheeks. She laughed when he stuck his tongue out, trying to reach the one he'd felt land near his nose. James dabbed it away with the end of his scarf before putting his arm around Lily.
"Just Remus' present to get now, right?" James asked, already leading her to Sugarplum's Sweet Shop.
"Have we ever been this organised?"
James didn't get to answer when a frantic voice shouted, "Draco, no!"
A little body raced by them, giggling, the shock of white-blond hair vivid against all the dark clothing he was wearing.
"Quick, James! It's Narcissa's boy. Grab him!"
James dropped the bag he'd been holding at Lily's feet and went racing after him. Harry did the Escape Act on them at least once a week, and it was always heart attack inducing. In a few large strides, James had him by the waist, tucking him under one arm as the boy shrieked with the laughter. James grinned at Lily as he walked back.
"He's faster than Harry, I'll give him that."
"Draco! Dra—" Narcissa stopped dead when she saw Draco squirming in James' arm. She stared at them, fear in her eyes. "Please don't hurt him," she said quietly, slowly approaching them.
"Narcissa," Lily said gently, "why would we hurt him?"
James quickly moved Draco to sit him on his hip, the child went quiet while looking at his mother, as if he could sense tension in the air. Narcissa hadn't moved as her eyes darted wildly between the Potters before settling on Harry. A dry sob escaped her. It seemed to shock her as she clasped her gloved-covered hands over her mouth.
Lily shared a look with James, a silent thought being shared by them. Lily nodded. James didn't hesitate to put his free hand out to Narcissa. "We were about to go home for some tea. Why don't you join us?"
Narcissa dropped her hands, a single tear dropped down her cheek. She glanced around at the people walking by them, none of them paying attention as they talked excitedly to their companions.
She shook her head. "I shouldn't."
James smiled warmly at her. He walked over to her, an arm out. She flinched away a little, but Lily watched as James slowly put an arm around her shoulders. Narcissa seemed to look tired all of a sudden.
"I know my tea isn't very good, but we're still good company. I promise," James cajoled. It got him a watery smile.
"Okay." She nodded, with a swift wipe of her cheek with the back of her hand. "I always hated the snow." Draco reached over to her to touch her cheek. "Thank you, darling," she laughed.
It didn't take them long to take Narcissa back to their cottage and settle the boys down for a nap, top and tail in Harry's cot. Narcissa quietly walked around their living room while James pointed his wand haphazardly at Harry's toys to send them back to the storage chest. Lily could be heard moving around the kitchen as she made a pot of tea.
James kept shooting furtive glances at Narcissa; she had her arms tightly folded, her clothes, neat and expensive, couldn't hide how small she looked in that moment. The only thing that was off with her appearance was the lack of care in her make-up; the lipstick was a little smudge and the mascara was only on the left eyelashes.
Once the toys had been put away, James took a deep breath and quietly let it go. He gingerly moved to Narcissa, touching her upper arm with his fingertips. She turned sharply to him. He held his hands up, raising his eyebrows above his gold-rimmed glasses. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."
She didn't say anything. Lily came into the room with a tray containing a large pot of tea and three teacups following her. She gave Narcissa a warm smile before turning to the tray as it set itself down on the small coffee table in the centre of the room.
"You have a nice home." Narcissa looked around the room as she said it, with their two mismatched couches that felt like hugs when you sat in them, and their son's toys still dotted around after James' manic tidying up. "It's warm and welcoming," she said, the honesty clear in her voice.
"Narcissa," James started, pulling her attention to him, "we just want to make sure you're okay… with Lucius gone…"
They could see a jaw muscle tic as Narcissa ground her jaw. Lily silently went about making the tea. Narcissa still hadn't taken a seat.
The room was suddenly filled with delicate sobs. "You should hate me," she croaked.
James and Lily moved together, one on either side of Narcissa, and sat down with her on one of the couches. They each had an arm around her shoulders, enveloping her in a tight hug, the space on the couch giving them no other option, as she cried into her hands. No one said a word until Narcissa's tears dried up and her sobs became intermittent sniffs.
Lily tucked a loose strand of Narcissa's hair behind her ear, a thumb trailing her cheek. "It was a war. Decisions were made to protect lives and family… We could never hate you, Narcissa."
James kissed Narcissa's temple. "And we would never hurt Draco or you."
"I know," she said with a small sniff. "I know. I've… We've lived so long being on opposite sides. Doing what we must."
"All I held onto for the last few years was the kindness you showed a little girl in her first year of a very different world to the one she grew up in," Lily whispered. Narcissa let go of a tiny laugh. "We wanted to visit you, but…"
Narcissa nodded at the unspoken thought. "I wanted to do the same."
Lily gave her a kiss on the cheek. "How about some tea?"
"That would be lovely," she admitted.
James silently moved to sit on the other couch, to give Narcissa some breathing space, and Lily stood to pour the tea. Narcissa gingerly settled back into the couch, holding her hand out toward the box of tissues, calling them to her.
"Lucius really was a good man. He loved me and protected me the best he could… it was his father with this hold on him," Narcissa said sharply. "I miss him so much I feel like my heart is breaking and now I'm all alone with our son who doesn't understand why his father doesn't read bedtime stories to him anymore."
James leant forward, sitting at the edge of the couch, leaning his elbows on his knees. "You are never alone. No matter what has happened, we're here for you."
Lily handed Narcissa her tea. The cup rattled on the saucer a little when she took it.
"There's something you should know," Lily started as she handed James his tea. James gave her one nod to encourage her. Lily sat down, not bothering with her own tea. "We know who Lucius really was, but he made me swear a long time ago that no one could know. Not even you, because he needed you to believe it – to keep you safe. And then Draco."
Narcissa frowned deeply, confusion clear in her eyes. "What – How?"
Lily took a deep breath, the memory flashing across her mind. It was nearly a decade ago, but it felt so fresh. "Do you remember that incident I had with Evan Rosier? During the last week of my first year?"
Narcissa nodded. "You said Severus protected you."
Lily shook her head. "It was Lucius, not Sev. He knew we were friends, that you looked after me. He kept me safe that day because of you – for you."
"He knew?" she asked in disbelief, a hitch in her voice. Narcissa shook her head, putting her tea down on the table. "It always boils down to secrets. I'm so tired of all the secrets."
"Narcissa," James said placatingly. He reached a hand out to her across the gap between the couches. She stared at it for a moment before taking it. "Lucius is the reason we're alive. After Snape had warned Dumbledore, before we went into hiding, Lucius came to us."
"He was scared that he was becoming like his father, that he would continue the cycle with Draco. He told us—" Lily took a sharp breath, remembering the hug she'd given Lucius, an unlikely friend in the darkest of times. "He told us he would rather die than continue down this path… and Sev told us that… that V-Voldemort found out. That's why so many of his followers died that night. He was betrayed and took it out on them all."
Narcissa snatched her hand from James' grasp as she got up. She stared at them, a flash of emotions flickered across her features. Lily placed a firm hand on James' shoulder when he went to stand up. Narcissa started pacing the small room, her dark green dress whipping at anything in its path when she turned sharply on the spot to walk back the way she'd come.
"I've been without him for a month and you're only telling me this now?" She stopped pacing. Some of her fine blonde hair had started to come loose, framing her face wildly. Her eyes remained hard and on Lily. "I've been trying to work up the courage to come to you, to apologise for his part in it, and you tell me now that he'd purposefully put himself in harms way to protect you?"
"Narcissa—"
"A month, Lily!" Narcissa shrieked. She immediately took a sharp breath at her own outburst. A child cried out from upstairs. "Draco," she whispered.
James shot up. "I'll go."
The two women watched him leave the room and listened to his heavy footsteps run up the stairs. They slowly looked back to each other. There were so many things they wanted to say to each other, but where did they start?
"Anything Lucius did, it was always for you and Draco." Lily got up, taking small steps towards Narcissa. "He helped us because he knew you loved us and that we loved you. He knew that we would protect you and love you always if he was gone."
Lily stretched out a hand to Narcissa when she neared her, slowly making contact with the soft skin on her cheek. Narcissa closed her eyes and leant into it. Lily trailed a thumb across her cheek before letting her hand drop down to the side of neck, resting it on her shoulder.
"The last thing he said to me was to not let Draco be like him," Narcissa whispered. She opened her eyes, more tears filling them. "I didn't understand it. I'm not sure I ever will."
Lily let out a heavy sigh as she pulled Narcissa into a tight hug, resting her chin on Narcissa's shoulder and rubbed her hands soothing over Narcissa's back. "We'll make sure to tell Draco who is father really was. The sacrifices he made against his own beliefs and upbringing. I think that's what Lucius may have meant – to not let his son become another link in the cruel Malfoy chain."
Narcissa relaxed into Lily's embrace, like the words had released something in her, and clung on to Lily, the only girl who never judged her and taught her so much in life.
"Mama," Draco's little voice called from the door.
"Can anyone join the hug?" James asked.
The two women looked to James, their arms still wrapped around one another. He stood at the door, Draco resting his head on James' shoulder, sleep still close by.
Lily turned her head, leaning her forehead against Narcissa's temple. It felt like coming home and she'd never realised just how much she'd missed Narcissa until this moment. "We let you go once. We're not doing it again."
Narcissa didn't hesitate to hold an arm out to James. He joined them, holding onto Draco as the two women hugged him. Draco giggled at being squashed between them all.
"I've missed you so much," Narcissa said, placing a light kiss on James' cheek. "I'm not going anywhere. Not this time."
Prompts Used
Summer Seasonal
- Days of the Year & Religious Events - 25th August - Write about a reconciliation
- Indoor Plant Week - 30. (trait) Compassionate
- Body Piercing - 32. (word) Messy
- Creative Ice Cream Day - Cookies & Cream (Narcissa) & Almond (Lily)
- Beer Day - 14. (action) stumbling over a word
- Wife Appreciation - 4. Lily Evans Potter
- Colours - 8. Gold
- Crystals - 3. Write about someone grieving
- Gryffindor Characters - 12. Lily Evans Potter
August Writing Club
- Bromance to Romance - 9. (physical trait) Glasses
- Artist Appreciation - 24. (theme) Secrets
Gobstones
- Orange stone - Lost love
- Accuracy - 10. (object) Teacup
- Power - 16. (object) Wand
- Technique - 16. (genre) Angst
Fight Club
1. Competitor - (action) Holding hands
Fortnightlies
- Shark week - Whale Shark - (trait) Gentle
Birb Challenge
- 9. Glasses
Summer Quartely
- Fix your plate - Desserts 16. (genre) Angst
Yearly
- 365 - 217. (weather) snow
- Fantastic Beasts - 204. Yeti - (dialogue) 'I always hated the snow.'
- Scavenger Hunt - 45. Write about a triad.
Auction
Day 7 Auction 1 - NarcissaJamesLily - 2,257 words (45 coins)