Chapter 34: Familial Connections

"You're Lucius sister?" He said not believing it though he could now clearly see the resemblance. Claire clearly had Lucius's nose. Though it looked pert rather than snotty. He could even see other similarities as well. Her eyes. They were the same color Cissy's were becoming he thought. He wondered if Cissy would look a lot like Claire if she survived the transformation. It was a rather disturbing thought considering…well, she was like a sister to him and Claire was Claire.

Why was he even thinking that. Clarie was nothing to him. Just a friend.

"Guilty as charged. I merely tolerate the bastard. He really barely tolerates me for being veela, but he has his moments. Occasionally. But this…goes beyond the pale even for him. Even if terminating is probably Cissy's best option."

There was something about the way she said Cissy's name if just for a second…

"He didn't even give her your name," he said looking at her.

"I'm really not surprised," she said. "Again, I am a dirty little secret to him. Lucius can't stand veela. I'm surprised he even visited me after the incident…"

"You mean when you were beaten almost to death by your boyfriend."

He knew now what happened to Claire and it made him want to gag the fact that something similar had happened to Cissy as well made his blood boil.

She nodded sadly. "I'm not really one for relationships either, Sirius."

"But…"

"Gil is merely fulfilling a need."

He gave her a weird look.

"I'm a veela. Surely, you know from your cousin that we have needs."

Oh.

She smirked.

"So, you're not involved with him then?"

"You seem more concerned about my romantic status than the fact I'm your cousin's ex sister in-law."

"The marriage is annulled so I don't even know if it would be an ex." Sirius said.

"You're evading the question," she said as she twirled a piece of her white-gold hair with her fingers almost as if she was toying with him.

He shrugged and said, "I honestly don't know why I care. Maybe because Gilderoy Lockhart is all wrong for you."

"Is he?"

"He has an IQ of a dingbat,"

"Maybe, I like stupid men."

"You said you were just using him for sex. You could do better."

"Oh, could I?"

He nodded as he let instinct take over and started kissing her. It had been a long time since he had kissed someone like this. Since Bella. Sure, after Lily had done whatever she had done to him he had romps in the hay with random women but…nothing like this. She was ridiculously responsive as she opened her mouth for him, as he put his tongue in her mouth. She had a lovely mouth. He had never kissed her before, but it felt oddly familiar. He didn't realize he was tugging at her robes until she had pulled off his.

"Are you?"

She nodded. "I'm on the drought and on protective spells. Trust me, I would not have messed with Gil otherwise."

"Don't ruin the mood," He said not wanting to think of her with anyone but him as he applied a protection spell on himself just for good measure.

It had been so long. So, so, long. He didn't try to even think as he began making love to her. He knew once he thought he would force himself to stop, and that was the last thing he wanted to do.


Claire was overwhelmed in the afterglow. She didn't even know how to describe what she had just experienced with Sirius.

She was actually surprised but delighted that he had decided to bed her.

A far improvement from Gil for sure.

She knew it had been a spur of the moment thing for him and she didn't expect anything from it, but a part of her wanted something more. Oddly enough, the whole experience had been a bit weird. It was like coming home like a piece of her that was missing was complete…

I missed this.

That blasted voice.

It was back again.

And apparently it had missed having sex with Sirius which was ridiculous since she had never made love to Sirius before. She found herself drifting to sleep and had a dream.

"I missed this."

It sounded like her—the voice. She was in bed and Sirius was looking at her but it was different. Claire didn't know how to describe it.

She felt different. Her body seemed different taller, tanner, flatter. She was laying on a bed somewhere that was not the lodge.

"Oh, you missed our first time." He said raising an eyebrow as he pleasured her. He looked younger and his eyes did not seem to have the sad look that filled them these days.

She moaned before she managed to get control over herself. "Well, this time of course is better. As will all the other times, Siri."

"I love you, Bella."

Bella.

Bella.

She woke up her eyes snapped open.

What the fuck?

Why was she having memories as Sirius Black's wife?

Sirius noticed that she was startled awake. She had woke him up. Looking at her he asked, "Are you okay?"

She shook her head. "No, no. You need to leave."

He gave her a weird look.

"I sleep alone Sirius."

Even though a part of her was craving him. Wanting what was hers.


As soon as she got back to her room, Narcissa took her too small shoes off of her swollen feet, cancelled the glamor charm, and took off her robes that had been feeling like a straight jacket these days. She sighed letting her body expand to its current size as she plopped down on the bed clad in only her underwear.

That was so much better. She really was about due for more clothes again. Really, new everything she thought as she grimaced at how tight her underwear had even become. She couldn't believe she had already outgrown these robes. She had only gotten them a couple of weeks ago before her life fell apart.

It was starting to become a hassle going back and forth to work, she had really been hoping she could at least go on for a few more weeks, but she didn't know if she could. Traveling was hard on her body and wearing those robes and shoes even made it worse.

She was going to ask Claire if she could get her a portkey to take her to the coven tomorrow. It was time for her to figure this shit out she thought as she put her hair through her shorn locks.

She still didn't know what had compelled her to cut off her hair the other day. The pixie cut was the shortest she had ever worn it, but it was oddly liberating. That being said it was already starting to become shaggy again much to her disdain. She'd probably have to cut it again tomorrow. She guessed it was trying to grow like the rest of her.

She could feel more of the changes starting. See them too. It was definitely becoming more rapid now.

She looked at herself in the mirror wondering how long she'd still see her face in it. Her eyes were definitely changing colors. It was not her imagination like she thought it was. One of the mediwitches actually had the gall to ask her if she got work on her face today.

She quickly blew her off, but she knew what was going on. She needed to get a handle on all of this before it was too late.

She also just needed to get away.

Since the annulment she had buried herself in work, but she heard the whispers. Mostly she kept to herself. She'd talk to Andi and to Sirius's friend, Remus of all people.

Surprisingly, she had an odd understanding with the man not that he knew it, but she could understand his reluctance to having his daughter become a werewolf in a weird way. She would definitely check up on him from time to time. He seemed fairly upset today when he had told her that he would be referred to as Hermione's uncle rather than father.

She understood Emma's motives, but she also knew how much it had to hurt the man.

Placing her hand on her stomach she begin to futilely apply the potion she got to cover her stretch marks. She was happy to feel the babies were being active tonight, but at the same time she knew she was going to get little rest.

She frowned as she made a list of what she needed to buy and pack She knew Sirius would think she was being rash in going to the coven right away, but she needed to just get a way from things and get strong.

She needed to be ready from them.

There was a knock on the door, "It's me, Claire."

"Come in," Narcissa said not bothering to put on a robe. She would've never had done such things a month ago, but that was before her life fell apart and she could feel and see her feet.

Claire raised an eyebrow when she saw her clad in only her underwear, "Are you okay?"

"I'm tired and pregnant and turning into a veela do I look okay?"

"You look like you're going to freeze and in desperate need of underwear that fits," She said.

"Trust me I won't. I feel like a furnace." Narissa said she had been ridiculously warm. Hence, one of the reasons she was in her underwear besides the fact she could not stand being in her ill-fitting robes. "Harry and Sirius are out."

"I know," The woman said. "I got your note earlier about the coven. Are you sure you want to leave….it won't be like it is here."

"I know," Narcissa said dreading the primitive conditions she heard the place was in. "But….well, things are starting to rapidly change. I need to go to get a handle on things."

Claire looked at her, "I didn't realize you were this big."

"Oh," Narcissa said. "I guess you usually see me in my robes. They have concealment spells on them. Sorry, if you're disturbed."

Claire shook her head, "No. Just surprised. You're not just having one child are you?"

"Nope, I'm having triplets."

"Merde."

"Indeed, it's one of the reasons I think heading to the coven is probably sooner than later."


He decided to resign.

It was the only thing that made sense. He wasn't going to go back to teach a bunch of dunderheads it was too risky with Lily.

Lily…

He was still a few pennies short on ingredients he need to brew a decent love potion which was one of the reasons he had decided to do some dirty work for Lucius. That and, well, he was debating about maybe using it on Lily.

He had been so opposed ten or so years ago, but now…he just wanted her to love him. He knew though that the potion would alter her mind and personality. Maybe he could make her forget about fifth year and that they dated since…he was still musing about it when he vialed up the potion.

The payment he was getting from Lucius for this should be enough to pay for the rest of the ingredients for the love potion or in the alternative a nice deposit on an apothecary.

"Where are you going?"

She had become more compliant in the past few months much to his relief. He figured she thought she was helpless and had to depend on him. She didn't smile at him anymore or really give him much of the time of day other than to occasionally read a book.

"You're talking to me, how strange?"

"Well, you've usually been brooding in your lab," Lily said. "I can't exactly walk you know."

He smiled sadly, "I'm hoping we can work on that soon."

She shrugged. "Well, the tonic you've been giving me hasn't exactly helped."

Probably not since it was paralyzing her. He knew she wanted to leave he saw it in her eyes. Not that he could exactly blame her. He'd want to get away from himself if he could as well.

"'I'm hoping we can try something else when I procure enough funds."

She gave him a weird look, "You mentioned you have a mastery in Potions what exactly do you do?

"I teach school," He said.

Or he did until he sent Dumbledore his official resignation letter.

"School as in Hogwarts?"

He nodded.

"Quite prestigious, Sev."

It really wasn't.


She had been gone for almost a month

A month Lucius's life had been destroyed.

Damn that bitch.

Honestly, he didn't know how he felt.

He still thought about their last moments together often. He knew the bond was gone. He tried to feel it every day. He had killed it when he demanded she terminate the pregnancy. When he slapped her.

He still wanted her to terminate. He didn't know how hard it was for her to grasp that having that child would kill her that had been one of the reasons he slapped her. And even if she survived…

She wouldn't be the same.

He hoped, prayed it wouldn't be a full transformation. He didn't think he could bear the thought of seeing her like that seeing her as a veela.

He never understood his Father's fascination with those creatures. Yes, admittedly he viewed them as creatures even though he had veela blood running through his own veins—tainted blood.

He didn't tell Narcissa that he didn't think he could love her if she fully transformed. It wasn't something he could really admit to himself, though he knew deep down that they were irrevocably broken. He couldn't feel the bond and he didn't even want to feel it at this point.

He hadn't even attempted to reach out. It was wasn't so much he couldn't he just didn't understand why she would leave what they had in order to have a creature.

"Malfoy."

He looked up as he saw Sirius Black strolling into the room. His ex brother in-law. Would Sirius even be his ex brother in-law the terms of the annulment made it as what Narcissa and he had been nothing.

Black looked to be the picture of health much to his annoyance. How the tables had turned He was now the one that look like garbage. He had been hitting the bottle a little too hard since she had left. It was the only thing that could get him to rest at night. His life was in shambles.

"You look like shit," Sirius said to him.

Lucius rolled his eyes. "Unfortunately, I can no longer say the same thing about you. I do have news about the item you requested."

"Snivellus came through?"

Lucius rolled his eyes at the use of the school nickname though admittedly it fit. It was a rather unpleasant experience dealing with Severus like always, but he got what Sirius requested. He may have been a bit annoyed with his not brother in-law but he was still one of his clients. One of his best clients.

"He came through. Must need the money."

"I'm surprised…"

He shook his head. "The unfortunate business with your bitch of a cousin does not affect my professional business with you. I only know you were doing what she requested with the annulment. What's done is done."

He gave him a weird look. "You're not even going to ask…"

"No," He said. "And I don't want to know. She made her choice and that's fine."

"I wasn't even talking about her. You don't deserve to hear about her." Black said eying him, "I was referring to Draco."

"You know I have no relationship with Draco per the terms of the contract."

Sirius gave him a look. "I have a son. I know how much it has to hurt even for a bastard like you."

"Do you Black?" He said, "Because you have only been a father for five minutes. I was that boy's father for ten years until that harpy decided to leave me."

"Don't call her that," Sirius said glaring at him. "You have no right. Not after what you did to her."

"But that's what she has become, isn't it?" He said. "She'd rather…no, we will not discuss that whore. This will be strictly business. Here's your potion."

Sirius glared at him, but grabbed the vile. "Be glad I'm not hexing you or doing something worse. If you even go near her again I will kill her like my wife would've killed you."

He rolled his eyes, "I wouldn't go near that monster again."

He was taken aback when Black decked him in the face so hard he thought he felt something pop.

He didn't bother fighting back. His new wand wasn't as good as his original elm one, plus he forgot where he left it. He had been too consumed with drinking his bottle of fire whisky.

"You may want to get a new solicitor," Lucius finally said when he got his bearings. Black had knocked out one of his teeth. "Andromeda's husband I hear does a good job for a mudblood."

Sirius just shook his head at him even though he was planning on doing exactly that. "You don't regret doing what you did, do you?"

"What? Trying to get her to save her life to not give birth to a creature. No, no I don't regret it." Lucius said.

Even though there was a part of him that knew it was the biggest mistake in his life he ever made. However, his distaste for those creatures quickly overcame any thoughts he had.


Chapter 35 Preview: Someone takes control.