The Other Child

On a roll lately with this story, I think of the first sentence and the rest just follows, I hope this chapter makes you smile, it made me smile
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Two weeks have passed since I told him; it really is amazing how happy he is. Raven as well. Severus took her down to Hogsmeade today and bought her some clothes and toys with money Lucius sent him. I’ve been sleeping a lot, been tired and increasingly nauseous.

I wake most of the time to find a plate of food and a coffee beside the bed, and a note saying Severus and Raven have gone out somewhere. Today is no different. I wake surveying the room. Severus has brought me breakfast, Bacon and eggs and toast, my stomach lurches and I put my pillow over my head.

A few hours later I wake again feeling movement on the bed, I peek carefully out from under the pillow.

“You need to eat something Amy, you are going to starve the way you’ve been picking at things” He scolds

“The smell of it is making me nauseous Severus, how am I supposed to eat it?” I explain gently

He pulls me into his arms and holds me tightly. He slides up my nightgown, dragging his fingertips over my belly gently.

Raven comes into the room and climbs onto the bed staring at me expectantly.

“Where is the baby? Why isn’t she here yet?” She asks seriously

“She? no I think it will be a he” Severus smirks at her

“Babies take time darling. A few more months and it will be here” I yawn

“When” she demands quickly

I think for a few moments “January or February Raven”

“But it’s only July first! That’s forever! Hurry up and make her come!” She whines

“Raven, let your mother rest. She seems to be tired.” Severus scolds her gently

“Its ok love, I need to get up at some point, or it will be nightfall. Perhaps we can go out for a walk or something?” I ask hopefully

“Perhaps we could walk to Hogsmeade? “ Severus suggests

The fireplace explodes and Narcissa Steps through smiling possibly the largest most uncontained smile I have ever seen grace her porcelain face.

“Your rooms are ready, we will do up a Nursery for you when we know what you are having” She beams proudly

“I think you are more excited than I am Narcissa” I smile

“I wanted another child, but Lucius put an end to that long ago, saying that one was enough” She answers, smile leaving her face

“You are still young enough to bear children, are you not?” I ask carefully

“I’m over forty Amy, I doubt it” She sighs

“Barely over forty if I am correct, Women today are having children into their mid to late forties, you may be able to get away with one more” I offer matter of factly

“Physically maybe, but Lucius would never allow it” She answers looking annoyed at her own answer

“Don’t tell him, Make it look accidental” I smirk

Severus and Narcissa both look at me in alarm, like I had just cast a killing curse on a kitten.

“What did I say?” I ask worriedly

“”What if he was to find out Amy? What do you think your brother would do to her?” Severus hisses

I nod quietly; perhaps I will have to watch what I say a little more carefully.

“Anyways, are the three of you coming? Lucius will send an elf to get your things” She asks changing the subject quickly, looking regretful for bringing the subject up.

“Of course” I slide carefully out of bed and move to the wardrobe pulling out a pair of black dress pants and a black silk button-up blouse. Waving my wand I am dressed and I move towards the fireplace along with the crowd.

We arrive in the grand entry hall, it has been years since I have been here, and the memories still linger, good and bad. I walk cautiously towards the stairs ascending them and looking down the long corridors for a destination. I hear Narcissa offer to take Raven and Severus to their rooms and they are gone from view. I turn looking towards my mother’s old room.

I close the distance between the staircase and the door smoothly, grabbing the handle and pushing the door open. The bed is made and the room is in perfect order, like they still live here, it is almost haunting. Her blood no longer lingers in the fabric of the carpet. I lie on the carpet where I last saw her and close my eyes.

I must have drifted off. I wake up and look to see Lucius sitting on the edge of the bed staring at me curiously.

“What?” I whisper

“Of all the places to sleep you pick the floor in our parent’s old room?” He asks arching an eyebrow at me.

I sit up carefully, dragging my fingers across the carpet.

“This is the last place she ever breathed Lucius” I whisper, tears forming in my eyes at my spoken words.

He looks at me, shocked

“What are you talking about Amy?” He asks both annoyed and curious

“He lied to you didn’t he? What did he tell you happened to Mother?”

Lucius stares at me for a moment before answering.

“He said she fell ill and died quickly from it” he says carefully

I shake my head and tears run down my cheeks. I can’t even bring myself to tell him, it is so horrible.

Lucius stands, moving to my side and sitting on the carpet beside me. He takes my hands in his holding them soothingly.

“That is not the truth is it Amy? Did you see what happened? You sent me a letter, but never gave any details. When I got here she was laying there. Looking like she had died in her sleep” he finishes pointing at the bed.

“That monster! He killed her Lucius!”

“You told me that in the letter Amy, but when I got here she looked peaceful, not at all damaged” He tells me firmly

I raise my wand to my temple pulling the memory of that day out of my head and attaching it to Lucius wand which he has extended carefully.

Lucius stands, moving to the pensieve in the corner of the room, carrying the memory away from him like it is about to attack him. He drops it into the pensieve and looks at me. I sit unmoving, watching him as he leans forward and is absorbed into the memory.

I lean back against the footboard of the bed and wait.

About half an hour later he comes back looking shocked. He moves and sits down, staring expectantly at the carpet, looking for blood.

“It has been cleaned Lucius” I whisper

His eyes snap up to mine and he looks at me confused.

“She knew you were carrying his child?”

“Yes, I told her Lucius, I knew I couldn’t tell him”

“She helped you get away, gave you her blessing, she didn’t care about the blood, the only reason the blood mattered was that he would kill you if it wasn’t pure. She never really cared about it” He whispers, astonished.

I nod reaching out and taking his hands in mine. He looks at me; I can see revelation in his eyes.

“You are so much like him Lucius, and it scares me. He was a terrible man, He was so cold, and his beliefs were what your beliefs had to be or you were killed” I whisper

He looks at me, listening to my words carefully

“I can see the pain in your wife’s eyes Lucius, what have you done to her? What have you done to your son? Have you forced your beliefs on them and made them suffer for your cause?”

I can see his flawless composure cracking as tears start welling up in his eyes.

“Have you made your son believe that if he does not marry someone pure of blood that you will disown him? Have you told your wife she can bear no more children because you already have an heir?”

“I have” he whispers hoarsely “what have I done Amy? I am him”

“You don’t have to be Lucius; you can change if you want it bad enough”

“How?” he asks defeated

“Firstly, I happen to know your wife would love to have another child Lucius, and she doesn’t have many child bearing years left” I smile gently

He looks at me, blinking in uneasiness.

“We are too old now Amy”

“Severus is only six years younger than Narcissa, you can pull it off if he can, it is all new to him, and it wouldn’t be for the two of you”

“I will speak to Narcissa about the matter—“

“No! I wasn’t supposed to say anything, promise me! Promise me Lucius that you will give your every effort to insuring she gets one ore child” I beg

“Very well Amy. Are there any more demands I need to meet for you?” He asks sarcastically

“Tell me you promise Lucius! I do not trust just a simple agreement from you”

He looks at me guiltily and sighs

“I knew you didn’t mean it, please Lucius, it would mean everything to Narcissa”

“I promise you I will give Narcissa another child, Amy. Are you content with that?” he growls annoyed

I smile happily “yes”

He snakes his hand out, pressing it into my belly slightly. He runs his fingers across my belly, bringing to my attention I have a small swelling, unnoticeable without a concise effort to notice.

“How far are you along?” He asks, not raising his eyes from my belly.

“Five or six weeks maximum, why?” I ask curiously

“When did you start showing with Raven?”

“At about ten or eleven weeks I had a swell like this I suppose, maybe slightly larger”

He nods “I think your dates are off Amy, you should have no visible signs of pregnancy yet, Narcissa is slightly thinner than you and she didn’t show until 10 weeks”

“My dates are accurate Lucius; Severus was hardly able to move the first two weeks after the war”

“Perhaps we should have a mediwitch out to examine you Amy?” He offers “Have you been seen yet?”

“No, I have been meaning to, I have just been so tired” I whisper

He shakes his head at me “I will have a mediwitch out this week to have a look at you, but it is Dinnertime now, let us not keeps everyone waiting” He stands, extending his hand to me and pulling me off of the floor and we move to join the others in the dining room.

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Do you like the slowly improving Lucius? What about Narcissa? Is she too old to have a child or will they have some luck? Will Draco be able to forgive Lucius when the time comes? Does Lucius Have some dark Secrets to release still? Severus seems to be happy finally, but will something come between them?

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I will update again soon I promise! Please review as always!