Fic: Going Home: Part Nine
Title: Going Home: Part Nine
Author:![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
alisanne
Word count: 1130
Rating: PG
Characters/pairings: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy.
Challenge: Written for![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
slythindor100/![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
slythindor100's 25 days of Christmas, Day 9 (traditional): Traditional Christmas Dinner.
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
Beta(s):sevfan and emynn.
Authors Notes: Part 9 of Going Home (LJ/IJ/DW).
~
Going Home: Part Nine
~
“First,” said Narcissa, “please let me apologise for my previous untruth. As you can see, I do know what’s wrong with your father.” She sighed. “Will you both please sit? Your hovering is making me nervous.”
Drawing his wand, Draco enlarged the chair behind him, then pulled Harry into it with him. Drawing a breath, he bit out through clenched teeth, “I’m glad you know what’s wrong with him, Mother, since I have no idea!”
Narcissa sighed. “There’s no need use that tone of voice with me, dear,” she said. “I understand you’re frustrated and confused, but anger will not help the situation.”
Draco’s right hand clenched into a fist and Harry covered it with his own. Then, clearing his throat, Harry said, “I’d never presume to speak for Draco, but I can speak for myself, and right now I’m not angry, just confused. So can we please just get to the bit where you explain what’s going on with Lucius and why you think Draco’s magical essence will help fix whatever’s happening?”
Shooting Harry a grateful look, Draco nodded. “Yes, what Harry said.”
“What was that about Draco’s magical essence?” Lucius hissed.
Narcissa inclined her head. “Oh, that was all nonsense as well,” she said. “My way of assessing whether you were back because you cared or out of obligation.”
Draco narrowed his eyes. “So, to be clear, Father appears to be turning into a snake, and you didn’t ask me to come back because you want to syphon off some of my magic essence?”
Narcissa took a sip of her eggnog. “I knew you’d understand.”
Draco threw up his hands. “Understand what? I have no idea what’s going on and what, if anything, I can do to help!”
Lucius coughed, again sounding like he was hacking up tissue. “Near as we can tell, the Dark Lord set a trap for us. For me, really. There was a Dark enchantment placed on the Manor so that should he not recast it periodically, the male inhabitants would all slowly turn into what you see me becoming.”
“What?” Draco cried. “When the hell—?” Draco quailed under Narcissa’s glare. “Sorry, Mother. Please tell me when you discovered all this.”
“Three years ago,” said Narcissa, holding Draco’s gaze.
Draco’s grip on Harry’s hand tightened. “But that was when—”
“When we drove you away,” Lucius gasped out before having another coughing fit.
Narcissa stood, walking over to him. Picking up a damp cloth, she placed it over his forehead and whispered something. “A charm the Healer taught me,” she said in explanation as she ministered to Lucius. “It doesn’t fix anything, but it does soothe his symptoms.”
“Wait,” said Draco, his voice going shrill. “Are you saying that whole thing where you cursed me and told me I was disowned and then tried to get Harry fired and take his inheritance…That whole business was to protect me?!”
Narcissa raised her head, looking at Draco, and the pain and love and tenderness in her eyes made Harry’s breath catch. “Of course. We would do anything to protect you, Draco. You’re our baby, our only son, and we love you. But we had to keep you away for us until we figured out what was happening.”
Draco started to shake. “You…you…”
Throwing as arm around Draco’s shoulders to comfort him, Harry had to swallow a few times before he himself could speak. “I take it you only contacted Draco when you got the curse broken?” he asked.
Narcissa nodded. “The Curse-Breakers found the cause last week. It was a small stone he placed under the foundation. It’s been removed and the whole place cleansed.”
“What about Father?” Draco whispered. “Now that the curse has been lifted, will he—?”
Narcissa shook her head. “The damage to him is too great,” she said. “The Healers think he will continue his slow decline and will eventually succumb in a few weeks.”
“I didn’t want her to call you,” gasped Lucius. He sat up, Narcissa helping him. “Didn’t want you to see me like this.”
“But it’s Christmas,” said Narcissa, gazing down at Lucius with open love on her face. “We’d planned to have a small Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, just the two of us, but I thought perhaps you and Harry would join us since this year will probably be your father’s last—”
“No!” shouted Draco, jumping to his feet. “I do not accept this! This is fucking ridiculous. How can—?”
“Language,” Lucius snapped.
Harry stood up beside Draco. “Excuse me, but may I say something?”
“Do we have a choice?” muttered Lucius.
“No, I don’t think so,” said Harry firmly. Placing a hand on Draco’s shoulder, he said, “I think this has been really selfish of you two.”
Narcissa blinked. “Mr Potter, I know we’ve done some terrible things to you, but—”
“Mrs Malfoy,” said Harry quietly. “Please stop talking so I may finish.”
Narcissa gasped and shut up.
“Thank you. Now, you’re telling me you knew about this curse three years ago and you kept it from Draco, actively driving him away to protect him.” Harry stepped in front of Draco. “Do you realise what it is he does?”
Lucius glared at Harry. “He’s in the Ministry. We know that much. It can’t be that important since no one seems to even know he’s there.”
“He’s an Unspeakable,” Harry said, tone soft. “He deals with curses and Dark forces and mysteries that could kill him every day. He’s the best Unspeakable they have.”
Draco coughed. “Well, you’re biased—”
“I’m not,” said Harry flatly, never looking away from Narcissa and Lucius. “I’m in the Auror office. We know everything. He has the best reputation for research in the entire department. If anyone in the world could have figured out this curse, it’s him!”
Narcissa clutched at Lucius’ shoulder. “We didn’t know,” she whispered.
“You didn’t ask,” replied Harry. “In addition, my best friend is now head of Magical Maladies at St Mungo’s.”
“I wasn’t about to ask Granger for help,” scoffed Lucius. “She would probably have done something to hasten my demise.”
“If you hadn’t driven us away,” said Harry, pretending Lucius hadn’t spoken, “we could have asked her to look into it. She’s the best researcher I know, especially when motivated.”
Draco hummed. “She is.”
“So yes,” Harry said. “This was all selfish and unnecessary.”
“Mr Potter…Harry, Draco.” Narcissa shook her head. “I was a fool and I apologise. And I am asking for your help now. Please—”
“Of course we’ll help,” snapped Harry.
Draco laughed softly. “You’re lucky he’s so generous. I might have made you wait for the answer after all you put us through.”
Narcissa close her eyes. “Thank you.”
~
Continued in Going Home: Part Ten (LJ/IJ/DW).
Author:
alisanneWord count: 1130
Rating: PG
Characters/pairings: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy.
Challenge: Written for
slythindor100/slythindor100's 25 days of Christmas, Day 9 (traditional): Traditional Christmas Dinner.
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
Beta(s):
sevfan and emynn.Authors Notes: Part 9 of Going Home (LJ/IJ/DW).
~
Going Home: Part Nine
~
“First,” said Narcissa, “please let me apologise for my previous untruth. As you can see, I do know what’s wrong with your father.” She sighed. “Will you both please sit? Your hovering is making me nervous.”
Drawing his wand, Draco enlarged the chair behind him, then pulled Harry into it with him. Drawing a breath, he bit out through clenched teeth, “I’m glad you know what’s wrong with him, Mother, since I have no idea!”
Narcissa sighed. “There’s no need use that tone of voice with me, dear,” she said. “I understand you’re frustrated and confused, but anger will not help the situation.”
Draco’s right hand clenched into a fist and Harry covered it with his own. Then, clearing his throat, Harry said, “I’d never presume to speak for Draco, but I can speak for myself, and right now I’m not angry, just confused. So can we please just get to the bit where you explain what’s going on with Lucius and why you think Draco’s magical essence will help fix whatever’s happening?”
Shooting Harry a grateful look, Draco nodded. “Yes, what Harry said.”
“What was that about Draco’s magical essence?” Lucius hissed.
Narcissa inclined her head. “Oh, that was all nonsense as well,” she said. “My way of assessing whether you were back because you cared or out of obligation.”
Draco narrowed his eyes. “So, to be clear, Father appears to be turning into a snake, and you didn’t ask me to come back because you want to syphon off some of my magic essence?”
Narcissa took a sip of her eggnog. “I knew you’d understand.”
Draco threw up his hands. “Understand what? I have no idea what’s going on and what, if anything, I can do to help!”
Lucius coughed, again sounding like he was hacking up tissue. “Near as we can tell, the Dark Lord set a trap for us. For me, really. There was a Dark enchantment placed on the Manor so that should he not recast it periodically, the male inhabitants would all slowly turn into what you see me becoming.”
“What?” Draco cried. “When the hell—?” Draco quailed under Narcissa’s glare. “Sorry, Mother. Please tell me when you discovered all this.”
“Three years ago,” said Narcissa, holding Draco’s gaze.
Draco’s grip on Harry’s hand tightened. “But that was when—”
“When we drove you away,” Lucius gasped out before having another coughing fit.
Narcissa stood, walking over to him. Picking up a damp cloth, she placed it over his forehead and whispered something. “A charm the Healer taught me,” she said in explanation as she ministered to Lucius. “It doesn’t fix anything, but it does soothe his symptoms.”
“Wait,” said Draco, his voice going shrill. “Are you saying that whole thing where you cursed me and told me I was disowned and then tried to get Harry fired and take his inheritance…That whole business was to protect me?!”
Narcissa raised her head, looking at Draco, and the pain and love and tenderness in her eyes made Harry’s breath catch. “Of course. We would do anything to protect you, Draco. You’re our baby, our only son, and we love you. But we had to keep you away for us until we figured out what was happening.”
Draco started to shake. “You…you…”
Throwing as arm around Draco’s shoulders to comfort him, Harry had to swallow a few times before he himself could speak. “I take it you only contacted Draco when you got the curse broken?” he asked.
Narcissa nodded. “The Curse-Breakers found the cause last week. It was a small stone he placed under the foundation. It’s been removed and the whole place cleansed.”
“What about Father?” Draco whispered. “Now that the curse has been lifted, will he—?”
Narcissa shook her head. “The damage to him is too great,” she said. “The Healers think he will continue his slow decline and will eventually succumb in a few weeks.”
“I didn’t want her to call you,” gasped Lucius. He sat up, Narcissa helping him. “Didn’t want you to see me like this.”
“But it’s Christmas,” said Narcissa, gazing down at Lucius with open love on her face. “We’d planned to have a small Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, just the two of us, but I thought perhaps you and Harry would join us since this year will probably be your father’s last—”
“No!” shouted Draco, jumping to his feet. “I do not accept this! This is fucking ridiculous. How can—?”
“Language,” Lucius snapped.
Harry stood up beside Draco. “Excuse me, but may I say something?”
“Do we have a choice?” muttered Lucius.
“No, I don’t think so,” said Harry firmly. Placing a hand on Draco’s shoulder, he said, “I think this has been really selfish of you two.”
Narcissa blinked. “Mr Potter, I know we’ve done some terrible things to you, but—”
“Mrs Malfoy,” said Harry quietly. “Please stop talking so I may finish.”
Narcissa gasped and shut up.
“Thank you. Now, you’re telling me you knew about this curse three years ago and you kept it from Draco, actively driving him away to protect him.” Harry stepped in front of Draco. “Do you realise what it is he does?”
Lucius glared at Harry. “He’s in the Ministry. We know that much. It can’t be that important since no one seems to even know he’s there.”
“He’s an Unspeakable,” Harry said, tone soft. “He deals with curses and Dark forces and mysteries that could kill him every day. He’s the best Unspeakable they have.”
Draco coughed. “Well, you’re biased—”
“I’m not,” said Harry flatly, never looking away from Narcissa and Lucius. “I’m in the Auror office. We know everything. He has the best reputation for research in the entire department. If anyone in the world could have figured out this curse, it’s him!”
Narcissa clutched at Lucius’ shoulder. “We didn’t know,” she whispered.
“You didn’t ask,” replied Harry. “In addition, my best friend is now head of Magical Maladies at St Mungo’s.”
“I wasn’t about to ask Granger for help,” scoffed Lucius. “She would probably have done something to hasten my demise.”
“If you hadn’t driven us away,” said Harry, pretending Lucius hadn’t spoken, “we could have asked her to look into it. She’s the best researcher I know, especially when motivated.”
Draco hummed. “She is.”
“So yes,” Harry said. “This was all selfish and unnecessary.”
“Mr Potter…Harry, Draco.” Narcissa shook her head. “I was a fool and I apologise. And I am asking for your help now. Please—”
“Of course we’ll help,” snapped Harry.
Draco laughed softly. “You’re lucky he’s so generous. I might have made you wait for the answer after all you put us through.”
Narcissa close her eyes. “Thank you.”
~
Continued in Going Home: Part Ten (LJ/IJ/DW).
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No idea. This seems to be a common problem of people the world over.
Especially on TV *rolls eyes*
And they aren't out of the woods yet, I fear. ;)
Thanks, hon!
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