A Wizard's Debt

WARNING: SERIOUSLY BAD ANGST AND A FAILED SUICIDE ATTEMPT. I mean it, its not nice toward the end, but does have a bit of a silver lining.



The lemmings ran away for this chapter.





Narcissa



I was sitting in my study answering my correspondence, a dull pastime of the Lady of the Manor – but one that must be done. You would think I did not have better things to do! I had just opened a letter from ‘Fantaztik’ a new robe boutique that had recently opened in Wizarding Cheshire; offering me a 5% discount if I spent five-hundred galleons. I politely refused, I have several boutiques I visit, and they are able to spell their names in a real language. Really, fantastic spelt with a ‘z’ and a ‘k’… dear oh dear.



“Mistress, you is having a visitor, Mistress.” Said Mippy, popping into the room.



“Show them in, we’ll have tea.” I said, waving my wand to tidy my desk before moving to the chaise lounge in the centre of the room.



“Mother.” Said Draco coming through the door – or more accurately a large bunch of tulips walked through the door.



“Oh, Strawberry! What on earth are you doing here at nine o’clock on a Saturday morning!” I said, moving to him and taking the large bunch of flowers from him.



“I’m bringing my Mother flowers.” He smiled kissing my cheek before moving past to sit down.



“Oh! They’re lovely, Strawberry, you know how much I love tulips – and it looks like you got me one of every colour too!” I smiled where Lucius brings me roses, Draco brings me tulips. My son knows my favourite flower, where my husband presumes… and Lucius has never got the hint.



“Of course, I couldn’t decide which couple of colours to get you, so I got one of each – the florist in Diagon Alley thought I was a bit mad.” He smiled at me, a beaming smile of true happiness that I haven’t seen in such a long time.



“Why were you in Diagon Alley at this time? I’d have thought you’d have slept in before going to watch Oliver later play… whoever they’re playing this week.” I like to watch quidditch, but do not ask me to remember the names of the teams. I can’t even remember whom my son’s husband plays for!



“I’ll go later, the match doesn’t start until three…” he smiled, another beaming bright smile, “I was picking up my apprentice robes and thought I’d get you some flowers while I was there.”



“Aren’t you thoughtful!” I said, suddenly realising what he’d said, “Apprentice robes! Oh Strawberry! You did it!” I rushed to him, gathering my baby into my arms in a crushing hug.



“Mum, I can’t breathe.” He gasped from my bosom.



“Oops – well, you never used to complain as a baby.” I chuckled, sitting next to him and taking his hand.



“Well, why would a baby complain about breast feeding?” he smiled, squeezing my hand. “Mum, is father home?” the wonderful smile gone instantly.



“Yes, he’s in his study – but you may want to let me go get him, he’s been pacing since breakfast.” I said, interrupting Lucius’s pacing wasn’t a good idea if you didn’t want to be hexed.



“What’s happened?!” Draco hissed, standing and too beginning to pace.



“Erm… well. A few weeks ago… well, I’ll cut a long story short…” I said, moving to the vial I had placed behind a family photograph on the mantelpiece, “Here.” I said, handing him the tiny bottle of bright blue liquid.



“Erm, Mother, this isn’t explaining anything.” He said, holding the bottle up to the light streaming in through the window.



“You are aware that your Father is a Master of Dark arts, and a Master of Defence against the Dark Arts?” I prompted.



“Yes, he went to London’s Wizarding University; and intended for me to go there too. Well, he can forget that idea!” he sneered.



“Yes, well…” I cleared my throat.



“Sorry, Mum.” He whimpered, sitting back down next to me.



“Well, he’s been able to cast certain recently banned charms, until a few weeks ago when the Ministry nullified their action.”



“And to put it simply, my inability to break through the Ministry’s nullification has put your Mother at great risk.” Lucius entered, sitting stiffly in a wing-backed chair.



“Custard! I was aiming for something a little less dramatic!” I sighed, taking both my boy’s hands in mine.



“What! What’s wrong! Mum…” Draco looked at me with wide grey eyes, his face paler than usual.



“Nothing is wrong, yet.” I said, looking at Lucius before he blurted out something stupid, “I am going to have a baby.” Draco blinked, looking between us both.



“How is that dangerous?” he asked.



“I almost lost you twice, and my heart stopped twice during your thirty-six hour birth – you were born through caesarean in the end, and I had spent most of the pregnancy on full bed rest. You were trouble from the start, Strawberry, you took years to create and then were almost impossible to bring into the world.” I could have cried at the look of utter anguish on my baby’s face.



“I’m sorry.” He whispered.



“It wasn’t your fault! Don’t ever think that!” I said, letting go of Lucius to pull him to me.



“What happens now.” He said, quickly wiping away a tear.



“I have an appointment with a healer this afternoon… and we’ll go from there.” I reassured him, stroking his far too short hair.



“Can I go with you – to make sure you’re alright?” he asked, completely ignoring Lucius.



“No, Strawberry – your Father is going with me. Go watch Oliver play and his team win, then after the match you can come back here and we can talk.”



“Are you sure?” he asked, taking my hand again.



“Your Father can look after me, can’t you Custard?” I prompted.



“Always, Petal.” He said, kissing the back of the hand he was holding.



“Mum, why have you always called me ‘Strawberry’?” he asked, looking puzzled.



“Oh Draco! Before you were born I had a terrible craving for strawberries, and thus that’s what I used to call you when I used to talk to you.” I said with a smile.



“I feel sorry for this one – he-or-she is probably going to be called tomato, or something.” He smiled, “Why do you call Father ‘Custard’?”



“Darling, you don’t want to know.” I giggled, winking at my husband.



“Definitely, I’ll get going and wake Ollie up so he can let his breakfast settle before he plays. I’ll let you get some rest before you see the healer this afternoon.” He kissed me gently, nodded to his Father and stepped into the floo, calling out Spinner’s End.



“Why was he here so early?” Lucius asked, loosening his cravat and the top three buttons.



“He brought me flowers, he’d been in Diagon Alley to pick up his apprentice robes… Lucius! His apprentice robes! He came to tell us he has been accepted by Master Ollivander, and didn’t get the chance to tell you!”



“Wand Making?” Luicus looked surprised.



“Yes, Wand Making.” I confirmed, looking dangerously at my husband, challenging him to disagree with his son’s choice.



“A common labourer!” Lucius snarled.



“An uncommon labourer – wandmakers are few and far between, highly skilled and incredibly talented!” I hissed.



“He could do so much better with a Masters of something!” he growled, once again pacing.



“Yes, he could be making more money that way – but he is happy at being accepted as an apprentice wandmaker! He’s Happy Lucius! Truly, utterly, brilliantly happy!” I sobbed, getting up and running from the room.



“Cissa! Narcissa! Wait!” he shouted, chasing after me, “You need to relax and rest; think of your health, think of the baby!” he said gently, pulling me into his strong arms.



“How about thinking of the first baby? The one who has secretly been taking anti-depressant potions for two years? The baby who I saw truly smile today for the first time in far too long? The baby who has worked for years and years to impress you – and received only a nod here and there?” I sobbed, unable to hold back the harsh words.



“Oh, my love. I failed terribly.” He whispered into my hair. “I never really knew what I was doing as a Father… anti-depressants for two years? How can it be a secret?”



“I’m his Mother, I know everything. Everything about him – but he doesn’t realise that, and I respected his privacy; however, Severus didn’t. I supplied the money to pay for the highest quality ingredients for the potions to make sure Draco was given the highest quality healing potions. Severus tells me the dose was slowly diluting, but after the night he ran to Oliver it increased again… Poppy Pomfrey has been seeing him discreetly for quite a while after she found him… found him half dead in his sixth year, after the dark mark was forced upon him.”



“Half dead? Who attacked him?” Lucius asked, a vengeful look in his eyes.



“Himself, he attacked himself. Poppy healed the wounds on his wrists so they wouldn’t scar.” I whispered.



Lucius leaned his back on the hallway wall and slid down, placing his forehead on his knees. “I had no idea.” He said quietly, his shoulders shaking, “You never told me…?”



“Draco never told me, Poppy and Severus contacted me and recommended we acted as normal around him, he begged them both not to tell us about what happened…” I knelt next to Lucius running my fingers through my hair, slightly damp from Lucius’s tears.



“I failed him, Cissa.” He whispered. Pulling me to him and clinging tightly.



“Yes, Lucius, you did – but you can stop failing him now, you can be supportive of him now; now that he has a new life and someone who loves him unconditionally… and then you can support me, and this little one.” I said, rising to my feet and gently tugging him with me. “Lets take Draco’s advice and get some rest before the appointment…” I said, suddenly feeling another wave of nausea before sprinting to the guest lavatory downstairs.



Athletes would do better in the wizarding Olympics if their sprinters were all pregnant woman suffering with morning sickness dashing to the bathroom. Oh Merlin! I hope I’m not sick at the wedding next week! I know Severus is desperately busy, but maybe he’ll brew me something to stop me losing my stomach contents at the temple… providing the healer today allows it.