Post by MrsCarterRivera on May 19, 2021 7:59:05 GMT -5
[This piece is dedicated to the late Helen McCrory <3]
~~~
Narcissa trembled.
She stared down at her hands as they quivered, and at the same time her stomach churned and sloshed, ready to release the glass of wine she’d downed a few hours earlier.
Her son was in there.
She looked up. Ahead, the castle loomed. Burning, crumbling, the very foundations shaking from the footfalls of angry giants. All around her, screams. Oh, the screams. Delight and pain and exhilaration and terror, all melded into a terrifying symphony. She watched a group of students running across the court yard, firing hexes and spells. A moment later, they disappeared under rubble caused by a giant’s hammer slamming into the tower above.
Draco was in there.
There were lights shining from the undamaged parts of the castle. She imagined students running, hiding, sobbing for their parents. Still in their dressing gowns, clutching wands. Clutching each other. Another part of the castle was in flames. They licked the black night, peppering it with red stars.
Movement caught her eye. She looked to her left to see Fenrir Greyback knelt over the body of a girl around Draco’s age. Stomach lurching, Narcissa ran. Ran as fast as she could, scrabbling over rubble, stumbling across the courtyard. The borrowed wand felt foreign, clenched so tight her knuckles stretched white over bone. She fought the urge to scream his name, knowing it would be useless, knowing she had to save her energy... The Entrance Hall was a mass of fighting bodies, spells ricochetting from the walls. Aurors battled Death Eaters, dancing around bodies already strewn across the flagstone.
A hand snatched her wrist short of the stone steps. Narcissa thrust the wand up - right beneath Lucius’ chin. One of his eyes was swollen shut; a bruise against his jaw. The pair stilled, staring, Narcissa’s heart pounding wildly in her throat. She lowered the wand. “I need to find him.”
“It’s dangerous-“
“He’s our son!” Tearing herself from his grip, she raced up the stone steps, knocking aside Kingsley Shacklebolt when he spun to face her. Students were running down the marble stairs, ducking and screaming as holes were blasted into the walls and the staircases above. Rubble fell. Narcissa threw herself into the crowd, forcing children out of the way, trying to scan every face that passed... Where was Draco? Arms caught her waist, pulling her back.
“Narcissa, wait.” Lucius looked at her through his good eye. “I’m with you. The Dark Lord sent me to find Severus, that give us time-”
Couldn’t he see they’d wasted enough time? She craned her neck to shout behind her. “Draco!”
And then a terrible cold voice echoed and the whole battle shuddered to a standstill. Not a muscle twitched as they listened. The Dark Lord’s words seemed to reverberate through the silent Hall. “You have fought valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery. Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste.
“Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat, immediately. I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour.”
Narcissa looked at Lucius despairingly. If Draco had decided to help the Potter boy... Lucius took her hand, tight. “We must retreat. Draco will meet us in the Forest. I-I promise.” Before she could protest, he turned and they landed heavily in the dark depths of the Forbidden Forest, surrounded by huge thick webs. The sudden quiet was disorientating. Close by, a crow laughed. Lord Voldemort paced the clearing, Nagini coiled inside a protective bubble behind him. Bella was stood to one side, her features dark and unreadable. In the background, the hunched silhouette of Hagrid trusted to a tree.
Draco wasn’t here. Nor was he among the Death Eaters now returning, nor with the hordes of other beasts working their way back through the trees. Lucius gripped her hand as her knees buckled.
Two giants returned, shaking the ground as they found places to sit. Greyback skulked in from the shadows, his chin coated with blood. The Dark Lord said nothing. For nearly an hour, he remained silent, staring out from the web entrance into the dark forest ahead. Between them, a fire spat and crackled. Nobody dared speak, and yet Narcissa felt like screaming. Draco hadn’t appeared. Not her boy. Merlin, not her boy. Already, her mind betrayed her with images of him laying dead on a staircase, lifeless eyes staring up at a destroyed ceiling. Her heart felt like it was physically being torn to pieces, and if she wasn’t holding onto Lucius so tightly, she knew she’d have collapsed.
The day Draco was born had been the best day of her life. Becoming a mother had been the becoming of her. It had come to her as natural as breathing, and she still recalled that rush of the love the first time she’d settled eyes on him. Small, bald, with a scrunched purple face. She’d vowed there and then that she’d do anything to protect him. Yet where had she been when he’d needed her the most? The urge to run was staggering. Her legs itched to flee, to run through the forest, back to the castle, to know for sure. She had to know for sure...
“Yaxley. Dolohov.” The sound of the Dark Lord’s voice made them all start. “Go and take a look. Make sure he hasn’t gotten lost.” The two Death Eaters hurried off and Narcissa longed to follow. Bella had settled herself close to the Dark Lord, gazing at him in something akin to wonderment. Above them, huge spiders shifted in the trees, the soft clicking sending a curl of revulsion down Narcissa’s spine. A few minutes later, Yaxley and Dolohov returned.
“No sign of him, my Lord.”
Voldemort’s gaze remained fixed on the fire.
“My Lord -” Bellatrix began, but he silenced her.
“I thought he would come. I expected him to come. I was, it seems... mistaken.”
“You weren’t.”
Harry Potter appeared in front of them and he flung aside the Invisibility Cloak. Narcissa gasped, Lucius’ hand tightened in hers, and she felt the surprise ripple throughout the clearing. Around them, Death Eaters lurched to their feet. Bella let out a breathless laugh, the fire alight in her dark eyes.
Hagrid fought against the rope. “HARRY! NO! NO! NO! HARRY, WHAT’RE YEH-?” Rowle silenced him with a flick of his wand. Harry and Voldemort stared at each other from across the clearing. Between them, the flames crackled.
“Harry Potter. The boy who lived.”
Narcissa felt a lump force itself into her throat. Voldemort raised his wand, head tilted, and as he spoke, a flash of green light shot from the end and hit Harry in the centre of his chest. In the same instant, the green light surged back through the clearing, taking Voldemort off his feet. He hit the ground hard.
Hushed whispers. Narcissa didn’t dare blink as she stared at Harry’s body, unmoving and face down in the dirt. Again, she fought against the urge to flee to the castle. It was over. It had to be over. She had to find Draco. Bella had rushed forward to the Dark Lord’s side where he struggled up onto an elbow. He looked dazed. His eyes searched the clearing without seeing. “That will do,” he said softly.
“My Lord, let me-“
“I do not require assistance. The boy... is he dead?” Silence met his words. “You.” Narcissa made the mistake of glancing at him. Sparks shot from the Dark Lord’s wand, hitting the back of her leg, and she cried out as pain shot up her thigh. “Examine him. Tell me whether he is dead.” Narcissa released Lucius’ hand, her palms clammy. Legs trembling as if hexed, she made her way down the gentle slope towards Harry’s body. He hadn’t moved since he’d fallen. Reaching him, she knelt, body covering his. By his nose, a single dry leaf flickered. She touched his face softly and felt the warmth. He was alive. She had no time to let the shock hit. No time to contemplate why. His heart raced in his chest, her palm against his ribs, yet still he didn’t move as he feigned death. Narcissa swallowed, her own heart rate matching his as she leaned closer. She had to know for sure.
“Is Draco alive? Is he in the castle?”
A beat.
“Yes.”
Relief swamped her. For a brief second, she shut her eyes. This was her chance, her one chance. Her nails marked him as she sat up, a warning she knew Harry would heed. I’ll keep your secret if you keep mine.
Draco was alive.
The thought gave her energy to sit up. She turned to look at the Voldemort; his red glare fixed on her, his slitted nostrils flaring. Narcissa looked him right in the eye and tilted her chin. “He is dead!” Behind the Dark Lord, celebrations erupted. Red and silver sparks exploded in the canopy of webs overhead as they cheered and danced, and Bella laughed, her head thrown back, and Hagrid cried out, body shaking the tree as he sobbed.
And triumph settled over Lord Voldemort’s face.
Everything became a blur. The Dark Lord spoke, but she couldn’t take it in. She made her way back to Lucius and collapsed into his arms as he held her close, cheek against her head. And as the Dark Lord began to abuse Harry, she could barely watch, terrified that any minute now it would be found that the boy was alive and that she’d lied and the Dark Lord would most certainly kill her. What would happen to Draco then? Squeezing her eyes shut against the burn of tears, Narcissa allowed Lucius to guide her with the procession that followed the Dark Lord.
The walk through the forest was the longest Narcissa had ever experienced. Each step bringing her closer to finding Draco, to being reunited with her son. She remembered the first time he’d smiled, all gums and dimples, and the first time he’d sat up. She recalled him crawling over the fur rug at the Manor, and his first wobbly steps from the coffee table to her awaiting arms. His first expression of magic when he’d wanted a cookie, and when she’d refused, he’d levitated the jar from the cupboard. He’d barely turned three. If only she could go back in time. If only she’d made different decisions when she’d had the chance. Was that why she’d lied for the Potter boy? As a small token of amendment? Voldemort was now addressing the school, his voice magnified, and Narcissa allowed herself to get lost in the sound. Her eyes scanned the faces of the figures that began to emerge from the castle. And then the screams, the grief etched on those very faces.
Draco wasn’t there.
It was Neville Longbottom who grew brave enough to break away from the ranks. Like some horrible accident she couldn’t tear her gaze from, Narcissa watched as the Sorting Hat was forced upon his head, his body bound by a curse; she watched as it was set alight. And then several things happened at once. Lucius grabbed her arm and pulled her, hard enough for her to stumble. The centaurs flooded into the courtyard, followed by the heavy footfalls of another giant. Death Eaters began to run as the giants clashed, Lucius dragging Narcissa behind him. Arrows flashed through the air, another slicing so close to her face she felt the feathers ghost her cheekbone. Ahead, an arrow punctured Rowle’s back and he fell. Beside him, Neville Longbottom pulled a sword from the hat.
The blade sliced through the air and Nagini’s head flew.
And then she lost sight of it all as she was buffeted by the terrified crowd. A roar shook the foundations as the smaller giant fell, crushing a stone archway to dust. Narcissa’s hand slipped from Lucius’ as they were forced with the tide back into the Entrance Hall. Narcissa ducked spells as she tried to run, Draco’s name leaving her lips in an unearthly screech. She fought her way to the Great Hall, searching for white blond hair, for that familiar face.... “Draco! Draco!” The Hall was a mass of fighting bodies, the air alight with curses and hexes. And house elves. So many house elves. Narcissa screamed, scrambling onto a table to escape, running down the end, upturning plates and goblets. Lucius appeared and grabbed her, pulling her down, and they both began screaming for their son. If he wasn’t here, where was he -?
She turned around just in time to see Molly Weasley kill her sister. The floor glowed hot, cracking like dry earth beneath their feet. Bella’s face lit with a delighted laugh, yet her body frozen as the spell hit her chest and expanded outward. “Bellatrix,” she whimpered as her sister fell. And then Narcissa saw him. Pushed against the wall, face crumpled as he watched the scene unfold. “Draco!” Narcissa ran as the floor cleared, Harry and Voldemort circling each other. She pushed students aside, reaching Draco and throwing her arms around his neck. “Oh, my boy!” A sob escaped as she buried her face against his shoulder; he was trembling, robes singed and coated with soot.
“Draco.” Lucius found them, pulling them both close, Narcissa weeping softly. In the next few minutes, the wizarding world would change forever. None of the Malfoys knew it then as they embraced tightly at the back of the Hall. To Narcissa, none of it mattered. Draco was alive. They were reunited again, her family.
Whatever happened next, they’d face it together...
[WC-2,376]
~~~
Narcissa trembled.
She stared down at her hands as they quivered, and at the same time her stomach churned and sloshed, ready to release the glass of wine she’d downed a few hours earlier.
Her son was in there.
She looked up. Ahead, the castle loomed. Burning, crumbling, the very foundations shaking from the footfalls of angry giants. All around her, screams. Oh, the screams. Delight and pain and exhilaration and terror, all melded into a terrifying symphony. She watched a group of students running across the court yard, firing hexes and spells. A moment later, they disappeared under rubble caused by a giant’s hammer slamming into the tower above.
Draco was in there.
There were lights shining from the undamaged parts of the castle. She imagined students running, hiding, sobbing for their parents. Still in their dressing gowns, clutching wands. Clutching each other. Another part of the castle was in flames. They licked the black night, peppering it with red stars.
Movement caught her eye. She looked to her left to see Fenrir Greyback knelt over the body of a girl around Draco’s age. Stomach lurching, Narcissa ran. Ran as fast as she could, scrabbling over rubble, stumbling across the courtyard. The borrowed wand felt foreign, clenched so tight her knuckles stretched white over bone. She fought the urge to scream his name, knowing it would be useless, knowing she had to save her energy... The Entrance Hall was a mass of fighting bodies, spells ricochetting from the walls. Aurors battled Death Eaters, dancing around bodies already strewn across the flagstone.
A hand snatched her wrist short of the stone steps. Narcissa thrust the wand up - right beneath Lucius’ chin. One of his eyes was swollen shut; a bruise against his jaw. The pair stilled, staring, Narcissa’s heart pounding wildly in her throat. She lowered the wand. “I need to find him.”
“It’s dangerous-“
“He’s our son!” Tearing herself from his grip, she raced up the stone steps, knocking aside Kingsley Shacklebolt when he spun to face her. Students were running down the marble stairs, ducking and screaming as holes were blasted into the walls and the staircases above. Rubble fell. Narcissa threw herself into the crowd, forcing children out of the way, trying to scan every face that passed... Where was Draco? Arms caught her waist, pulling her back.
“Narcissa, wait.” Lucius looked at her through his good eye. “I’m with you. The Dark Lord sent me to find Severus, that give us time-”
Couldn’t he see they’d wasted enough time? She craned her neck to shout behind her. “Draco!”
And then a terrible cold voice echoed and the whole battle shuddered to a standstill. Not a muscle twitched as they listened. The Dark Lord’s words seemed to reverberate through the silent Hall. “You have fought valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery. Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste.
“Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat, immediately. I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour.”
Narcissa looked at Lucius despairingly. If Draco had decided to help the Potter boy... Lucius took her hand, tight. “We must retreat. Draco will meet us in the Forest. I-I promise.” Before she could protest, he turned and they landed heavily in the dark depths of the Forbidden Forest, surrounded by huge thick webs. The sudden quiet was disorientating. Close by, a crow laughed. Lord Voldemort paced the clearing, Nagini coiled inside a protective bubble behind him. Bella was stood to one side, her features dark and unreadable. In the background, the hunched silhouette of Hagrid trusted to a tree.
Draco wasn’t here. Nor was he among the Death Eaters now returning, nor with the hordes of other beasts working their way back through the trees. Lucius gripped her hand as her knees buckled.
Two giants returned, shaking the ground as they found places to sit. Greyback skulked in from the shadows, his chin coated with blood. The Dark Lord said nothing. For nearly an hour, he remained silent, staring out from the web entrance into the dark forest ahead. Between them, a fire spat and crackled. Nobody dared speak, and yet Narcissa felt like screaming. Draco hadn’t appeared. Not her boy. Merlin, not her boy. Already, her mind betrayed her with images of him laying dead on a staircase, lifeless eyes staring up at a destroyed ceiling. Her heart felt like it was physically being torn to pieces, and if she wasn’t holding onto Lucius so tightly, she knew she’d have collapsed.
The day Draco was born had been the best day of her life. Becoming a mother had been the becoming of her. It had come to her as natural as breathing, and she still recalled that rush of the love the first time she’d settled eyes on him. Small, bald, with a scrunched purple face. She’d vowed there and then that she’d do anything to protect him. Yet where had she been when he’d needed her the most? The urge to run was staggering. Her legs itched to flee, to run through the forest, back to the castle, to know for sure. She had to know for sure...
“Yaxley. Dolohov.” The sound of the Dark Lord’s voice made them all start. “Go and take a look. Make sure he hasn’t gotten lost.” The two Death Eaters hurried off and Narcissa longed to follow. Bella had settled herself close to the Dark Lord, gazing at him in something akin to wonderment. Above them, huge spiders shifted in the trees, the soft clicking sending a curl of revulsion down Narcissa’s spine. A few minutes later, Yaxley and Dolohov returned.
“No sign of him, my Lord.”
Voldemort’s gaze remained fixed on the fire.
“My Lord -” Bellatrix began, but he silenced her.
“I thought he would come. I expected him to come. I was, it seems... mistaken.”
“You weren’t.”
Harry Potter appeared in front of them and he flung aside the Invisibility Cloak. Narcissa gasped, Lucius’ hand tightened in hers, and she felt the surprise ripple throughout the clearing. Around them, Death Eaters lurched to their feet. Bella let out a breathless laugh, the fire alight in her dark eyes.
Hagrid fought against the rope. “HARRY! NO! NO! NO! HARRY, WHAT’RE YEH-?” Rowle silenced him with a flick of his wand. Harry and Voldemort stared at each other from across the clearing. Between them, the flames crackled.
“Harry Potter. The boy who lived.”
Narcissa felt a lump force itself into her throat. Voldemort raised his wand, head tilted, and as he spoke, a flash of green light shot from the end and hit Harry in the centre of his chest. In the same instant, the green light surged back through the clearing, taking Voldemort off his feet. He hit the ground hard.
Hushed whispers. Narcissa didn’t dare blink as she stared at Harry’s body, unmoving and face down in the dirt. Again, she fought against the urge to flee to the castle. It was over. It had to be over. She had to find Draco. Bella had rushed forward to the Dark Lord’s side where he struggled up onto an elbow. He looked dazed. His eyes searched the clearing without seeing. “That will do,” he said softly.
“My Lord, let me-“
“I do not require assistance. The boy... is he dead?” Silence met his words. “You.” Narcissa made the mistake of glancing at him. Sparks shot from the Dark Lord’s wand, hitting the back of her leg, and she cried out as pain shot up her thigh. “Examine him. Tell me whether he is dead.” Narcissa released Lucius’ hand, her palms clammy. Legs trembling as if hexed, she made her way down the gentle slope towards Harry’s body. He hadn’t moved since he’d fallen. Reaching him, she knelt, body covering his. By his nose, a single dry leaf flickered. She touched his face softly and felt the warmth. He was alive. She had no time to let the shock hit. No time to contemplate why. His heart raced in his chest, her palm against his ribs, yet still he didn’t move as he feigned death. Narcissa swallowed, her own heart rate matching his as she leaned closer. She had to know for sure.
“Is Draco alive? Is he in the castle?”
A beat.
“Yes.”
Relief swamped her. For a brief second, she shut her eyes. This was her chance, her one chance. Her nails marked him as she sat up, a warning she knew Harry would heed. I’ll keep your secret if you keep mine.
Draco was alive.
The thought gave her energy to sit up. She turned to look at the Voldemort; his red glare fixed on her, his slitted nostrils flaring. Narcissa looked him right in the eye and tilted her chin. “He is dead!” Behind the Dark Lord, celebrations erupted. Red and silver sparks exploded in the canopy of webs overhead as they cheered and danced, and Bella laughed, her head thrown back, and Hagrid cried out, body shaking the tree as he sobbed.
And triumph settled over Lord Voldemort’s face.
Everything became a blur. The Dark Lord spoke, but she couldn’t take it in. She made her way back to Lucius and collapsed into his arms as he held her close, cheek against her head. And as the Dark Lord began to abuse Harry, she could barely watch, terrified that any minute now it would be found that the boy was alive and that she’d lied and the Dark Lord would most certainly kill her. What would happen to Draco then? Squeezing her eyes shut against the burn of tears, Narcissa allowed Lucius to guide her with the procession that followed the Dark Lord.
The walk through the forest was the longest Narcissa had ever experienced. Each step bringing her closer to finding Draco, to being reunited with her son. She remembered the first time he’d smiled, all gums and dimples, and the first time he’d sat up. She recalled him crawling over the fur rug at the Manor, and his first wobbly steps from the coffee table to her awaiting arms. His first expression of magic when he’d wanted a cookie, and when she’d refused, he’d levitated the jar from the cupboard. He’d barely turned three. If only she could go back in time. If only she’d made different decisions when she’d had the chance. Was that why she’d lied for the Potter boy? As a small token of amendment? Voldemort was now addressing the school, his voice magnified, and Narcissa allowed herself to get lost in the sound. Her eyes scanned the faces of the figures that began to emerge from the castle. And then the screams, the grief etched on those very faces.
Draco wasn’t there.
It was Neville Longbottom who grew brave enough to break away from the ranks. Like some horrible accident she couldn’t tear her gaze from, Narcissa watched as the Sorting Hat was forced upon his head, his body bound by a curse; she watched as it was set alight. And then several things happened at once. Lucius grabbed her arm and pulled her, hard enough for her to stumble. The centaurs flooded into the courtyard, followed by the heavy footfalls of another giant. Death Eaters began to run as the giants clashed, Lucius dragging Narcissa behind him. Arrows flashed through the air, another slicing so close to her face she felt the feathers ghost her cheekbone. Ahead, an arrow punctured Rowle’s back and he fell. Beside him, Neville Longbottom pulled a sword from the hat.
The blade sliced through the air and Nagini’s head flew.
And then she lost sight of it all as she was buffeted by the terrified crowd. A roar shook the foundations as the smaller giant fell, crushing a stone archway to dust. Narcissa’s hand slipped from Lucius’ as they were forced with the tide back into the Entrance Hall. Narcissa ducked spells as she tried to run, Draco’s name leaving her lips in an unearthly screech. She fought her way to the Great Hall, searching for white blond hair, for that familiar face.... “Draco! Draco!” The Hall was a mass of fighting bodies, the air alight with curses and hexes. And house elves. So many house elves. Narcissa screamed, scrambling onto a table to escape, running down the end, upturning plates and goblets. Lucius appeared and grabbed her, pulling her down, and they both began screaming for their son. If he wasn’t here, where was he -?
She turned around just in time to see Molly Weasley kill her sister. The floor glowed hot, cracking like dry earth beneath their feet. Bella’s face lit with a delighted laugh, yet her body frozen as the spell hit her chest and expanded outward. “Bellatrix,” she whimpered as her sister fell. And then Narcissa saw him. Pushed against the wall, face crumpled as he watched the scene unfold. “Draco!” Narcissa ran as the floor cleared, Harry and Voldemort circling each other. She pushed students aside, reaching Draco and throwing her arms around his neck. “Oh, my boy!” A sob escaped as she buried her face against his shoulder; he was trembling, robes singed and coated with soot.
“Draco.” Lucius found them, pulling them both close, Narcissa weeping softly. In the next few minutes, the wizarding world would change forever. None of the Malfoys knew it then as they embraced tightly at the back of the Hall. To Narcissa, none of it mattered. Draco was alive. They were reunited again, her family.
Whatever happened next, they’d face it together...
[WC-2,376]
