AN: Ended up rewriting this one quite a bit since I wanted to explore some of the character dynamics more. Draco is a complicated character for me as well as Cissy's maternal skills towards him. She really tries but...fails often. It probably doesn't help that Draco is Draco as well. Anyway hope ya'll enjoy.

Chapter 41: Maternal Woes

There was something different about Claire, Sirius couldn't quite pinpoint it, but he had to say whatever it was he enjoyed it.

She had become a lot more enthusiastic about him and Harry. But he did wonder why. She just didn't know how to bring the subject to her. So much had been going on in the past few weeks between getting Harry starting his tutoring session and dealing with Cissy's pregnancy and the fact she was \ sleeping with Moony of all people.

He couldn't believe it when he saw Moony leave Cissy's bedroom one morning and had asked her about it.

"I'm not twelve, Siri." She said with a shrug looking so nonchalant about the whole thing while she munched on a ridiculously large biscuit.

He'd never get used to seeing her gorge sugar like this. Or sleep with his best friend.

"But, Remus, really?"

"I have needs it helps control the allure."

"Allure, but you…"

"Look at me," She said. "Is it so hard to believe its developed?"

He still wasn't used to this new face, the voluptuous figure, this new her. She was no longer the little prim and proper cousin of his. No longer the socialite that was married to Lucius. Instead, she was a veela who had fucked his best friend on their first date apparently just to get high from it.

"It's not like you and Claire aren't doing the same."

"It's different."

"Is it?" She asked raising one of her eyebrows. Even her eyebrows were different like everything else.

"Yes, Claire and I…"

"Yes?"

"Never mind."

He thought about talking to Remus about it, but it really was none of his business. They seemed to be enjoying each other enough, and to be honest Remus probably needed to get laid. He thought there was something going on between him and his baby mama, but he had read the signals all wrong…

He was going to blame Azkaban for that it seemed to be an easy enough culprit, it was one of the reasons he was still in Switzerland. That and he didn't think he could stomach Britain without her.

"You seem disturbed," Claire said eying him in a very similar way…

No, he wasn't going to make a comparison. Not now.

"Oh, I'm thinking about my cousin and Remus."

"Well, I guess a werewolf is a step up from that bastard, Lucius." Claire said.

"Aren't you technically the bastard?"

"Schematics," Claire said as she flipped a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. "I'm glad she found someone. It is about time and better Remus than someone like Gilderoy Lockhart. I can't believe I fucked that peacock."

"Oh, you're no longer interested in Gil?"

"Obviously, not when he can't even get the color of my eyes right. Can't even get me an amethyst pendant like someone can."

"Like that, didn't you?" He had bought it on a whim mainly to be cheeky and it had reminded him of her and her eyes.

"I may need matching earrings or a bracelet."

"That can be arranged."

"But first I wanted to talk to you about, Harry."

"What about him?"

"I was wondering if I could help him with some of his Defense classes?"

"I thought you said you were pants with Defense."

"Which is one of the reasons I want to teach him," she said. "I want to work on my skills. He can still have Remus teach him the basics, but I thought it would be fun if we dueled."

"Dueled?"

"Yes, dueled. I think everyone should learn how to duel, don't you?"

She smiled in such a way for a second, he thought she was Bella.

"I just thought you hated it."

"I do," she said. "But it's something I want to improve, and I do want to get to know Harry better."

"You want to duel with me?"

Harry was a little surprised with Claire' s request. The woman had remained nice but relatively aloof until recently. Yes, she'd teach him skiing and was kind to him, but she hadn't ever asked him if he wanted to do something.

"I'm not very good at it," Claire said with a small smile. "And your dad said you needed someone to partner up with in your Defense lessons. I thought I'd offer since I'd like to get my skills up to par."

"By dueling with a firstie failure."

"Firstie Failure?"

It was what Draco called him when none of the adults could hear them talking. Honestly, Harry found his cousin to be a bit of a prick. He hadn't said anything to his dad or Aunt Cissy though.

Part of the reason was he was used to never getting adults involved. It never ended well, at least at the Dursleys. And it wasn't that bad. He knew his dad would probably flip out and likely yell at Draco and he didn't want that. And Aunt Cissy was dealing with way too much right now to hear that he was annoyed with her son.

Besides, other than being a prick Draco hadn't been that obnoxious yet. But it did hurt a little bit, being told he was a failure at magic. And it wasn't like Harry could tell him the truth. Draco wasn't someone he trusted with his real identity, so instead he just had to hear how he was a Harry Potter poser despite the fact that there were lots of kids named Harry. Hell, there was even a muggle prince called Harry too.

"Your whore of a mother couldn't get James Potter in bed, so she went to his man whore best friend instead." Draco had told him one afternoon when Harry was trying to practice some of the jinxes that Remus taught him earlier.

He really didn't know why Draco even mentioned that. He had kept to himself for the most part. It was always when he was practicing his spells that Draco decided to bother him. Especially Transfiguration which was probably his favorite subject besides Defense. It just came naturally to him. It also helped that he was motivated into becoming an animagi one day like his dad.

"Such a firstie failure." Draco said continuing his tirade on him.

"Harry?" Claire said pulling him out of his thoughts. "I asked who called you a firstie failure?"

"It doesn't matter," He said.

He watched her eyes narrow and became maybe grayer for only a second, and her lips become thin. "Oh, but it does. Was it Draco?"

He didn't want to be a tattle-tale.

"Well, obviously it was." Claire said, "Considering I doubt any adult that you've been around would say such a thing."

"Don't tell," Harry said in a low voice.

"Why not?" Claire asked her eyes flashing. "That little shit—er, jerk—should not say those sorts of things to you, baby."

Baby. He had noticed she had started referring to him as that lately. It was weird how protective she was almost like a mother…

Or what he imagined a mother might be like since his mother was dead.

He frowned thinking about how he and his dad and aunts had visited her crypt the other day on her birthday. His dad had given him some tulips to place by her marker. Apparently, they were her favorite flowers. He didn't even know that.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he said. "Really, don't bother with Draco, Claire. He's just a prick."

"He is, but you shouldn't let him walk all over you." She said with a smirk, "Yet another reason to learn dueling."

"I'm sure Aunt Cissy would be annoyed if I cursed Draco." He said.

Claire rolled her eyes. "Cissy can just deal with me."

It was surprisingly easy to get him to allow her to duel with Harry—her Harry even though he thought Claire Du Pres was terrible at dueling.

She probably was, Bella thought. It was clear they wanted nothing left of her old life or personality to remain.

She had laugh at her new wardrobe versus Cissy's it was almost as if the tables were turned. She was now the one who cared about fashion while Cissy was content with wearing muggle clothes. She had to pretty much beg her sister to get those robes she wore for her date with Lupin and still that had been an ordeal in itself.

"Seriously, you're going on a date looking like a lumberjack?"

She shrugged. "Does it really matter? Besides, these are about the only thing that fits that I'm comfortable in."

She could only imagine the Cissy from a few months having a coronary if she saw herself now. Yes, she understood her sister was very pregnant—with fucking triplets no less—but she looked like she more or less could be a muggle lumberjack these days with her current wardrobe. The hair didn't help. She knew her sister hated the waist length locks that seemingly grew overnight. She had gone on rants that as soon as the change was over she was chopping her hair off for good. It was a far cry from the prim and proper sister she once knew.

"It's a date," she said. "You do like him, don't you?"

She shrugged, "He's nice…I just. It's been a while and with Lucius I…"

"Didn't have a choice." She finished.

She nodded. "And honestly, a part of me isn't ready to move on even though my body very much is. It's craving it. It wants to get fucked."

"The allure."

"Yes," She said. "I think I understood what you told me all those months ago. I…I don't even know what the point is of trying with it. He was goggling over at me when I was pigging out on a burger and milkshake for Merlin's sake. I mean, look at me."

She didn't look that bad. Extremely pregnant and her hair was pretty much non-existent as they had met for breakfast, but hardly undesirable by any means. Then again, she was essentially a veela now—save for the final phases of the transformation.

"You said you were writing letters back and forth with him. Maybe there is an actual attraction other than….our nature."

Cissy shrugged. "Maybe. I do like him and I want to go out with him, but I don't want to take advantage of him, yet at the same time…"

"Just go on the date and see where it leads you." Even they both knew where the date would lead her…to his bed.

Of course, even she didn't suspect that they'd essentially be sharing a bedroom for the past few weeks. Cissy usually had never been that fast—as far as she knew she hadn't been with anyone besides Lucius, but then that was the Cissy of yesteryear. That Cissy was not a veela.

Really, she was glad that she was moving on. Despite being a werewolf, he was one of Siri's more tolerable friends and he wouldn't hit Cissy like that bastard did.

She frowned thinking of that night. It hadn't been pretty by any means, especially since it was her first time to be in harpy form but the bastard had deserved it seeing her sister like this and not informing her about her son…it just angered her so much.

She felt her talons emerge for a second before quickly taking a deep breath. She supposed he ended up living or the body hadn't been found yet. Honestly, she didn't care either way.

"Claire?"

Cissy. She hadn't really seen her much since she became herself again, not that Cissy would likely notice. She really had not been sure how she was going to tell her family the truth or if they'd believe her.

"What is it?"

How she hated that Cissy got stuck in this mess because of that bastard. She was just glad her sister seemed to be adapting for the most part. She knew it had to be hard. Still, seeing her every day look more and more like a stranger was difficult. She barely recognized the woman in front of her now.

Cissy held out her hand. Or what had been a hand it was now a talon.

The change was about to occur.

He and Mother had gotten into it again.

It was becoming a recurring pattern between the two of them.

All because of him….his stupid cousin.

It was so clear Mother wanted stupid Harry to be her son. Yes, Draco may have been calling the git a firstie failure but that was what he was. He didn't deserve to get yelled at about it and grounded no less.

"He's such a tattle tell," he said when he was cornered by Mother.

"He didn't tattle, I heard you." She snapped.

She looked particularly angry that morning. He blamed her early morning short doo for the expression and possibly the fact that Cousin Sirius had told her she needed to layoff the sugar again. That was all she was these days angry, hungry, or slutty.

That werewolf had been over practically every night, and she didn't think he even knew….

But he saw them. They woke him up more than a few times. He thought about telling Mother how embarrassing it was but then she knew he would know he heard her when she and the werewolf were doing that and he didn't want to talk about that at all.

It was always Draco talk to me…Draco why don't you tell me your feelings…And then Draco you can't talk to Father.

He had asked every day and was rebuffed and they may have got into it a little too much tonight. Enough where…well, he remembered her arms changing into those things.

They looked like bird toes.

Talons.

It had happened in the midst of their argument. She was yelling at him for being cruel to the poser. He told her she liked the poser better than him and brought up Father again.

"I don't see what your father has to do with any of this." Mother said putting her hands on her huge hips.

He was still overwhelmed by the size of her she was as big as a house. He was glad that Weasley was dead, he'd now be the one getting the jokes about having the fat mother. Molly Weasley was probably smaller than her now.

Albeit, he knew a lot of the extra weight was because of the pregnancy, but still she didn't look remotely similar to the dainty mother that had kissed him goodbye at Christmas.

"You won't let me write to him!" He snapped. "I tried to send an owl the other day and the house elves took the mail away."

"We've talked about this already. It is not a good idea for you to be writing to your father right now. Not after what he has done."

"What did he do?"

"It's not important, what's important is you're turning out to be just like him with what you're doing to Harry currently."

"By calling him out on being a firstie failure?"

His mother's eyes seemed to look grayer than they had for weeks. "Your cousin is not a failure. He had serious health issues earlier this year because of the accident he and his mother were in that didn't allow him to attend school. Might I remind you were averaging a Poor in History of Magic and a Troll in Transfiguration before the Easter holidays. There's a high likelihood that you might even have to retake the first year of Transfiguration again."

"You're lying," Draco said even though he knew his Transfiguration grades were not good. And that he probably did poorly on the final. He had struggled through the practical. The subject was hard. It didn't help that his hapless cousin happened to be good at it.

"I received the same report you did at Easter," Mother said. "I only haven't said anything about it because I know you're dealing with a huge adjustment."

"You mean because you left Father for a werewolf."

"It wasn't like that, and you know it."

"Then how was it, Mother? Because clearly you're whoring around right now and not letting him even see me."

"Because he hurt me, Draco!" She blurted out her face turning bright red for a second.

"That is a lie!" He snapped. "A fucking lie."

He then did something that surprised himself he tried to slap mother only for her to grab his hand with her talon….

"Draco," She said. "You will not hit me. Do you understand? I will not have you become your father."

He ignored her. He couldn't help but stare at her at what she was becoming. "You're….you're….a monster."

Her face paled, "Your…your father told me that."

"Well, maybe he had a good reason." He said, "Have you seen yourself? You have literal bird claws"

"I…I have to go. We're not done."

"Yes, we are. I don't want to talk to you ever again. Especially when you're spewing such trash about Father."

"Believe what you want, Draco." She said in as calm of a voice as she could muster. "But he hurt me, and he tried to hurt your sisters. Please, sweetheart, don't end up like him. I beg of you to change."

"And what end up like a monster like you instead."

He then left her in the room with her transformed arms. Not really knowing what that meant. However, he later found out she was gone and not coming back for a long time if ever.

The last few weeks had been wonderful. So much Narcissa had forgotten what was about to happen. She had been too wrapped up in Remus. Had she been smarter she would've left weeks ago. If she had been smarter she would've been paying more attention to what was going on with her body, with her son, with Harry, with everything.

She didn't know if it was so much because her allure was coming in and that she needed to feed it, but she wanted him and he wanted her. It was different than it was with Lucius, it wasn't the same but she enjoyed it. It had the potential to develop into something more or at least that's what she told herself as she pretty much dragged him into bed with her each night.

Only it wasn't so much like dragging. He seemed to like and want it as much as her. She liked that he didn't treat her like some innocent flower that wouldn't break, that he wasn't all about image. It was just refreshing she could just be herself. If this new version of her was herself. She really didn't know at times.

Of course, she also had her mind wrapped up with the two boys. Harry was having flashbacks to what had happened this fall and Draco was still not over the fact she would not let him see Lucius and had even refused to attend his lessons with Remus. She couldn't exactly blame him; she knew how it looked with Remus. And explaining her veela sexual urges to her twelve-year-old son wasn't something she even knew how to do. However, even with all that it made no excuse for what he did today. And then today, she found out he was bullying Harry.

She frowned thinking of how she caught him picking on the boy when he was attempting to learn new spells. Calling him a firstie failure of all things. The look on Harry's face about broke her heart.

She also knew based on his face this wasn't the first time it had happened and it had made her angry which was why she had confronted her own son.

Of course, things got nasty. She still couldn't believe Draco had tried to hit her and that…well, she had begun the final transformation.

She was on borrowed time she had to get back to the coven sooner than later. She had really been hoping to last a couple more weeks, but that was not going to happen. She just…she just wasn't ready..

"When?" Claire asked when she showed her transformed hand.

"Just now," She said. "I thought I had more time."

Draco's outburst and her own reaction had probably escalated it.

"Calm down, it's not good for you or the babies." Claire said biting her lip. "Do you still feel up for flooing?"

"I honestly don't know…" She said, "It's too soon."

"You're in your third trimester," Claire reminded her. "It can happen at any time then."

"Will you…will you stay with me until."

She nodded, "Of course, Cissy, of course. I would never leave you."

"Also, I have some letters." She said, "One for Siri, Andi, Draco, and Harry. Make sure they get them."

The woman nodded.

"Also, tell Sirius to watch out for Draco. He needs help." She said, "I have failed him so much."

"Cissy…"

"Please, Claire."

They had put her in a barn. She knew this was going to happen, but she still felt disgusted with her situation as she told Claire who true to her word was there with her even though the others had warned her that she'd likely attack her once she did transform.

They didn't know how much time she could have it could be days. It could be hours. Minutes. Nothing had changed other than her hands. But they weren't changing back. She couldn't put her hand on her stomach like she had been prone to doing as of late. They had given her an old muggle bathrobe to wear while she waited since once she was in her other form it would be ripped into shreds. When she became a beast. It felt oddly comforting if strange though she had to have help just to get into it since her talons didn't exactly make changing clothes easy.

She'd be here until she gave birth. They had even put her in magical restraints so she wouldn't be able to escape once she transformed. It was very much a prison, but necessary. There would be no control once she became a harpy.

"You said you never fully transformed?" She asked Claire once they were left alone.

Claire shook her head, "I have actually."

Narcissa raised an eyebrow.

"I found out something and it made me lose control," Claire said. "If only for a second. It was oddly liberating."

"But you feared it."

"In the moment it happened though I did not."

"Do you mind me asking you what happened?" She asked, "I mean, since we have nothing better to do."

"You wouldn't believe me," Claire said.

"Try me," Narcissa said wanting to get her mind off of Draco.

She really worried what would become of her son. Especially once she was gone. She had left him in Sirius and Andromeda's care, but she wouldn't put it past Lucius to try to somehow get a hold of him. He did not need to be around that man. Especially if today was any indication.

She still couldn't believe her baby boy, her miracle child, had tried to hit her. Or for that matter that she wanted to use her claws and teach him a lesson. Somehow she had managed to restrain herself but just barely. And she had claws now. Talons. She's have feathers soon, a beak, and she just wouldn't be human anymore. It was hard to grasp.

"It might upset you."

She laughed. She doubted anything could upset her more than her twelve year old son attempting to slap her mere hours ago. "At this point it doesn't matter. I am going to change and quite frankly I'd be happy to get it done with. I feel sort of awkward right now you know half harpy half human."

"You might not believe me," Claire said. "Sometimes I can't believe it, Cissy."

"Claire."

"I….I had a life before the accident only not as Claire Du Pres."

Narcissa gave her an odd look. "I don't understand."

"I'm not Lucius's half-sister, Cissy." She said, "Technically, I'm his adopted twin sister."

"What? Lucius wouldn't adopt anyone not with…"

"I know he hates veela," She said, "But he hated me too in my old life."

"What do you mean your old life?"

Claire looked at her, "I'll put it this way. I wasn't beaten by an ex-boyfriend. I didn't get burned trying to get away from him because I couldn't control my powers."

It then clicked, "Bella…."

The fact that her sister was right there all this time, that Lucius had kept her from her again by having her entire identity rewritten, was just too much for her to process.

It happened so fast. She could hear herself screaming as her body started to change. Her face and entire body save for her hands and feet became covered with feathers and widened and thickened. The talon like hands remained but grew to accommodate her larger form while her feet grew to look similar to them. A beak replaced her nose and mouth. Scaly wings emerged from her shoulders. Even her eyes had changed. No longer did they have any Black grey to them they were pure violet like Claire's….no like Bella's.

And then she knew no more. Her senses change. All she felt was a need to protect the little ones that were inside her. Nothing else mattered.

"Oh, Cissy," She heard someone telling her. "I'm so, so sorry."

The creature didn't seem to understand her though since a fire ball emerged from it's talon like hand it was going to attack.

The woman narrowly avoided it as she left her nest.

Good. She wanted to be left alone and prepare for the birth of her young. Now to find a comfortable place and something to eat.…

Bellatrix couldn't help but cry as she left the beast that Cissy had become. She had finally told someone the truth and within seconds…well, within seconds Cissy was gone. And who knew if she was going to ever come back.

Lisle was waiting for her outside, "It happened."

"Just now."

"I told you it wouldn't be safe in there."

She shrugged. "It was good dodging practice. Besides, the barn is fireproof."

"But as you're very aware you're not."

"I know," she said.

"It will be a while before she gives birth," Lisle said.

"She's only just now seven months along," Bella said.

Lisle nodded. " I know, but better than her going out in the wild. You saw her in there. Can you imagine her being like that for months without being contained."

Bella shuddered.

"She'll be fine until she gives birth at least," Lisle said. "We'll be spelling food in there and having the waste removed."

"Will you let me know when it happens…her healer…"

Lisle laughed, "I doubt her healer will be able to even get near her when she does give birth. She is essentially a nesting mother, Claire."

"You're talking about her as if she's a beast."

"Because she is one," Lisle said. "Narcissa is no more Claire. At least for now. Maybe forever. Even if she comes back she won't be the same."

Chapter 42 Preview: The news and fallout of Narcissa's situation occurs.