Narcissa hated it, the way Magnus looked at her in scorn. He used to call her sister before, with respect one would want, but now there was only contempt.
She looked him in the eyes, her own tearing up, "Please... Help me, Magn..."
"It's your majesty for you. Why are you here? For help? Go and find your dead husband, or maybe the dead Dark Lord. I many times warned you, suggested you take my side. Yet, you went with Lucius, that mindless cockroach. I used to think you were smart, but no. Why are you even alive?" He snapped at her.
She wept openly, "Please, forgive me. I have nowhere to go. Your people are hunting me, they won't stop unless you order them. I... For my son, please."
He looked at the small bundle in her arms. He could faintly notice the blonde hair and the shivering small body.
"A son? Lucius Malfoy's blood? You expect me to save the boy that might become a dark lord in the future? You want me to save you so you can feed all that pureblood bullshit to your son? Give him to me, why shouldn't I just kill me right now?" He waved his hand, making Narcissa freeze. Her expressions were full of terror, she pleaded, "No, please... You're not such a person..."
Magnus didn't listen, he took the baby away from her arms. The baby cried and tried to get back to his mother's arms but what was a baby's strength. Magnus held him in front of his face by his sides, the small towel covering him fell down, revealing his butt-naked body.
However, in an instant, all that anger vanished as the body of the boy revealed itself. Highly malnourished, his stomach caved in as if he had not been fed for days, his face lacked the baby fat and chubby cheeks, instead, there was dirt all over him and bones visible all around.
The boy's grey eyes stared at Magnus in confusion and discomfort. Everything paused for a second there. Magnus cursed, "Damnit, I'm not Voldemort."
He quickly wrapped the baby in another warm towel and handed him to Emma, "Hold him, call Severus too, we need someone to feed him a few strength potions and minerals."
He looked back at Narcissa then, his anger was still the same with her, "Look at you, so pathetic you couldn't even care for your son. This is where your entire life has brought you, all your magic, getting the top grades in school, this is where your so-called love has brought you. Loveless, without family or wealth, without an inheritance and a place to call home. If you want my help, then they must be on my terms."
"Anything... I will do anything... if you want my life, kill me, just don't let my baby die," she pleaded.
"You will completely remove the name Malfoy from your life. You never knew that man, that boy has no father, you would never mention the name of his father or the Malfoy family to him. You will never tell him who killed Lucius, but you will tell him about Voldemort and all the killings he did. You will denounce your rights from the Malfoy family in the Ministry. You will only work where I tell you to work, live where I allow you to live. You will not make decisions about your son's life, I will decide where he studies, whom he befriends and where he will work.
"All these things must be fixed with an unbreakable vow, if you break it, you shall die and I will consider your son indoctrinated into dark ways. Do you accept this?" He stated his terms.
"I do, I will make the vow. I hate that vermin more than you, I would never try to make my baby take after him," she quickly accepted.
"Fine, but before that, I will use Legilimency on you and look through your mind. I do not and will not ever trust someone so easily who has spent years beside Voldemort and his dogs." This was not a request either.
Narcissa's eyes sparkled, she knew she must allow this to earn the trust. But she wondered if allowing Magnus to see all that would be right. She relented, "Okay,"
Magnus initiated Legilimency and entered her mind. He looked at her memories from her birth until right now.
[Memories]
At age 6, Narcissa's first realised what a cruel house she was born in. Druella Black, her mother, held her by her shoulders and shook her, "What is your name? Narcissa Black, that last name means something, a legacy of centuries is behind it and you want to tarnish that? Don't ever talk to that boy, his family may be called pureblood but he's still beneath us."
At age 10. Cygnus and Druella Black brought their daughters to the Malfoy house. Where, for the first time, Narcissa saw Lucius. "Narcissa, he will one day be your husband, okay? So make good friends with him."
Everything in her life was decided by others, and her own free will slowly took a backseat as she let herself move where the decisions of others took her. In school, Lucius treated her kindly, her first kiss was in Hogsmead in her fourth year.
Slowly, she thought that everything would be perfect in her life as long as she got married. But then Lucius started to fall into the gutter called Voldemort. And then Magnus came a few years later, with that Lucius' insanity started to arise.
After school, the day she was to get married, Lucius came into her room and forced himself on her. She was no more than a broodmare in his eyes, blinded by the lust for revenge and ordered by Voldemort, all he wanted was a child to inherit is a family claim. There was no love anymore, she was a slave, that's all.
4 times, that how many times she fell pregnant. Three times the baby died within a month and the 4th time her son was finally born. She loved him and didn't want a life of insanity and madness for him. But she could not leave, chained under the unknown castle, she was to feed the heir of the Malfoy family and serve to the wish of Lucius whenever he desired.
Every single day, the words of Magnus rang in her mind, what if, what if she had taken his hand of help in the train. "I'm here, you can always ask me for help" these words felt hollow to her before, but in her years of mental and physical torture, she realised those words were the only genuine ones spoken to her in this life. If she had taken that hand, she would've lived a better life.
"Someone... please help," her pleas were sent out every day, but they only fell on deaf ears.
[Memory Ends]
A minute passed, Magnus had retreated from her mind. The rain was still showering as if heaven was angry, or crying. He knelt down in front of her and gave her a hug, he patted on the back of her head and whispered, "It's okay, sister Narcissa, you're safe now. Nobody is after you, Lucius is dead. Why didn't you come to me earlier?"
Narcissa, who was already holding herself by a thin string of mental fortitude, finally broke down. She hugged Magnus, clutching his shirt and lowered her neck on his shoulder. She bawled her eyes out, tears became unstoppable as if the dam holding her emotions was finally broken. All this time she tried to act strong for her son, but now... she can let it go. She wailed, and all that mental and physical agony was finally coming to an end. She cried for minutes.
"I... I could not... *sniff* Bellatrix was always watching... and... after that I couldn't come closer to your Palace... I tried sending mother and Sirius letters but none replied... I-I didn't know Andromeda's address... I'm sorry, your majesty... I was a fool. *sniff* Please forgive me..." She cried, sniffing, trying to control her tears.
Magnus silently sighed, who would have thought Narcissa was facing such inhuman circumstances. He pitied her and felt bad, but in no way was he blinded by it. All good men had the possibility of doing cruel acts and all evil men could do good. Hitler loved animals, after all.
He helped her stand up. Her clothes seemed she had not changed in weeks. "Come in, you might catch a cold in the rain. Emma, bring some clothes for her and hot soup. Did you call Severus?"
"Yes, he's on his way," Emma came to help Narcissa. Soon she was made to take a bath with her son and change into better clothes. Still, both mother and child looked malnourished.
*POP*
Severus appeared with portkey. Immediately Emma handed him the baby boy, "Here, fix him up."
Severus couldn't even look around and already found a strange creature in his arms already, it also smelled bad, he scowled, "What the fuck is this?"
Narcissa hated it, the way Magnus looked at her in scorn. He used to call her sister before, with respect one would want, but now there was only contempt.
She looked him in the eyes, her own tearing up, "Please... Help me, Magn..."
"It's your majesty for you. Why are you here? For help? Go and find your dead husband, or maybe the dead Dark Lord. I many times warned you, suggested you take my side. Yet, you went with Lucius, that mindless cockroach. I used to think you were smart, but no. Why are you even alive?" He snapped at her.
She wept openly, "Please, forgive me. I have nowhere to go. Your people are hunting me, they won't stop unless you order them. I... For my son, please."
He looked at the small bundle in her arms. He could faintly notice the blonde hair and the shivering small body.
"A son? Lucius Malfoy's blood? You expect me to save the boy that might become a dark lord in the future? You want me to save you so you can feed all that pureblood bullshit to your son? Give him to me, why shouldn't I just kill me right now?" He waved his hand, making Narcissa freeze. Her expressions were full of terror, she pleaded, "No, please... You're not such a person..."
Magnus didn't listen, he took the baby away from her arms. The baby cried and tried to get back to his mother's arms but what was a baby's strength. Magnus held him in front of his face by his sides, the small towel covering him fell down, revealing his butt-naked body.
However, in an instant, all that anger vanished as the body of the boy revealed itself. Highly malnourished, his stomach caved in as if he had not been fed for days, his face lacked the baby fat and chubby cheeks, instead, there was dirt all over him and bones visible all around.
The boy's grey eyes stared at Magnus in confusion and discomfort. Everything paused for a second there. Magnus cursed, "Damnit, I'm not Voldemort."
He quickly wrapped the baby in another warm towel and handed him to Emma, "Hold him, call Severus too, we need someone to feed him a few strength potions and minerals."
He looked back at Narcissa then, his anger was still the same with her, "Look at you, so pathetic you couldn't even care for your son. This is where your entire life has brought you, all your magic, getting the top grades in school, this is where your so-called love has brought you. Loveless, without family or wealth, without an inheritance and a place to call home. If you want my help, then they must be on my terms."
"Anything... I will do anything... if you want my life, kill me, just don't let my baby die," she pleaded.
"You will completely remove the name Malfoy from your life. You never knew that man, that boy has no father, you would never mention the name of his father or the Malfoy family to him. You will never tell him who killed Lucius, but you will tell him about Voldemort and all the killings he did. You will denounce your rights from the Malfoy family in the Ministry. You will only work where I tell you to work, live where I allow you to live. You will not make decisions about your son's life, I will decide where he studies, whom he befriends and where he will work.
"All these things must be fixed with an unbreakable vow, if you break it, you shall die and I will consider your son indoctrinated into dark ways. Do you accept this?" He stated his terms.
"I do, I will make the vow. I hate that vermin more than you, I would never try to make my baby take after him," she quickly accepted.
"Fine, but before that, I will use Legilimency on you and look through your mind. I do not and will not ever trust someone so easily who has spent years beside Voldemort and his dogs." This was not a request either.
Narcissa's eyes sparkled, she knew she must allow this to earn the trust. But she wondered if allowing Magnus to see all that would be right. She relented, "Okay,"
Magnus initiated Legilimency and entered her mind. He looked at her memories from her birth until right now.
[Memories]
At age 6, Narcissa's first realised what a cruel house she was born in. Druella Black, her mother, held her by her shoulders and shook her, "What is your name? Narcissa Black, that last name means something, a legacy of centuries is behind it and you want to tarnish that? Don't ever talk to that boy, his family may be called pureblood but he's still beneath us."
At age 10. Cygnus and Druella Black brought their daughters to the Malfoy house. Where, for the first time, Narcissa saw Lucius. "Narcissa, he will one day be your husband, okay? So make good friends with him."
Everything in her life was decided by others, and her own free will slowly took a backseat as she let herself move where the decisions of others took her. In school, Lucius treated her kindly, her first kiss was in Hogsmead in her fourth year.
Slowly, she thought that everything would be perfect in her life as long as she got married. But then Lucius started to fall into the gutter called Voldemort. And then Magnus came a few years later, with that Lucius' insanity started to arise.
After school, the day she was to get married, Lucius came into her room and forced himself on her. She was no more than a broodmare in his eyes, blinded by the lust for revenge and ordered by Voldemort, all he wanted was a child to inherit is a family claim. There was no love anymore, she was a slave, that's all.
4 times, that how many times she fell pregnant. Three times the baby died within a month and the 4th time her son was finally born. She loved him and didn't want a life of insanity and madness for him. But she could not leave, chained under the unknown castle, she was to feed the heir of the Malfoy family and serve to the wish of Lucius whenever he desired.
Every single day, the words of Magnus rang in her mind, what if, what if she had taken his hand of help in the train. "I'm here, you can always ask me for help" these words felt hollow to her before, but in her years of mental and physical torture, she realised those words were the only genuine ones spoken to her in this life. If she had taken that hand, she would've lived a better life.
"Someone... please help," her pleas were sent out every day, but they only fell on deaf ears.
[Memory Ends]
A minute passed, Magnus had retreated from her mind. The rain was still showering as if heaven was angry, or crying. He knelt down in front of her and gave her a hug, he patted on the back of her head and whispered, "It's okay, sister Narcissa, you're safe now. Nobody is after you, Lucius is dead. Why didn't you come to me earlier?"
Narcissa, who was already holding herself by a thin string of mental fortitude, finally broke down. She hugged Magnus, clutching his shirt and lowered her neck on his shoulder. She bawled her eyes out, tears became unstoppable as if the dam holding her emotions was finally broken. All this time she tried to act strong for her son, but now... she can let it go. She wailed, and all that mental and physical agony was finally coming to an end. She cried for minutes.
"I... I could not... *sniff* Bellatrix was always watching... and... after that I couldn't come closer to your Palace... I tried sending mother and Sirius letters but none replied... I-I didn't know Andromeda's address... I'm sorry, your majesty... I was a fool. *sniff* Please forgive me..." She cried, sniffing, trying to control her tears.
Magnus silently sighed, who would have thought Narcissa was facing such inhuman circumstances. He pitied her and felt bad, but in no way was he blinded by it. All good men had the possibility of doing cruel acts and all evil men could do good. Hitler loved animals, after all.
He helped her stand up. Her clothes seemed she had not changed in weeks. "Come in, you might catch a cold in the rain. Emma, bring some clothes for her and hot soup. Did you call Severus?"
"Yes, he's on his way," Emma came to help Narcissa. Soon she was made to take a bath with her son and change into better clothes. Still, both mother and child looked malnourished.
*POP*
Severus appeared with portkey. Immediately Emma handed him the baby boy, "Here, fix him up."
Severus couldn't even look around and already found a strange creature in his arms already, it also smelled bad, he scowled, "What the fuck is this?"
