Chapter Text
Chapter 1: The Sacrifice/ A Mother’s Love
September 1980
"I am sorry, Mrs. Malfoy, we have tried everything within our magical capabilities. He is but an infant but his body and magical core are already so weak and continue to weaken. All we can really do is keep him comfortable."
The mediwizard looked up from the child removing the magic that surrounded the baby. The normally healthy glow of pink rosy cheeks for a baby of its age, was now so pale that the baby’s veins could be seen. The mediwitch bowed at the two parents in the room. Knowing that this news was not easy to take in.
"I will give you both the time you need and inform our staff to prepare for next steps."
The mediwizard quickly exited the room not wanting to witness the emotional break of the parents. As the door clicked closed Narcissa let out heartwrenching sobs. Her hands trembling as she moved to caress the infant’s face. She could already feel death’s cold kiss on the child's skin.
"This is absurd! The incompetence of that staff! I am a Malfoy, one of the purest bloodlines in the sacred 28. I will not let my heir pass away due to some imbecile's lack of understanding of magical healing." Lucius fumed as he paced across the lavished room. His eyes not once sparing a glance to the small child in the crib, nor to his sobbing wife.
"I'm going to go use the floo and reach out to my contacts in other countries. There needs to be other resources that St. Mungos hasn't thought of" He quickly moved across the room flicking his wand to slam the door open before strutting out. The sound of the door echoing in the room startled the infant. The baby opened its mouth as if to cry out but only gasps escaped. The action alone of trying to get air already turning the pale skin a sickly bluish hue.
Narcissa sobbed seeing her baby so weak and frightened, even the simple survival for an infant of his age was unattainable. She very delicately, maneuvered her hands to pick up the infant. Seeing her baby already struggling so much she didn’t wish to cause unnecessary discomfort. She pressed him close to her chest hoping and praying that the soft thrum of her heart beat could provide some comfort to her baby. "Mon petit dragon” Her voice carried such tenderness and love. “You have yet to even complete an orbit around the sun and already death comes for you.” Her voice cracked from emotion as more tears fell from her eyes onto her child's. “I have already failed you mon petit dragon, maybe this is my punishment for the life I have chosen."
She leaned in to place a soft kiss on the infant's forehead, the skin already colder than when she first caressed his cheek. The child feeling it’s mother’s touch very weakly opened its eyes. Narcissa’s breath caught seeing those notorious silver eyes gleam up at her. A jolt of understanding falling over her as she quickly stood up. Without a second glance she held her child close as she crossed the room. Across from the open door hidden behind a curtain, she opened the door that led through a series of smaller corridors. "You may be a Malfoy heir, Mai avant toute chose vous etes de la plus noble et la plus pure maison des Black.” [but above all you are of the noblest and purest house of Blacks] She said with determination in her eyes as she moved through the passages of the house before arriving at her own little study connected to the greenhouse. "Mon petit Dragon, just continue to fight." Narcissa whispered as she laid the baby on a bassinet. Her wand moved quickly as wisps of her magic moved to set up a work space around her cauldron. Herbs, potions and various others tools glided thru the air finding their designated space on the table. As the items arranged themselves Narcissa glided towards the bookshelf filled with rows and rows of ancient books.
She pulled the silver pin from her hair, pricking her finger and muttering an old cantation long lost in speech. The bookshelf glowed as specific items seemed to vibrate. Pages started to manifest in front of Narcissa. What was once air now had a heavily large text wrapped in mysterious old leather.
"I will not let you die, my little one." She spoke with determination, grabbing the book and setting it on the table next to the bassinet. Her eyes looked over at the infant seeing the unnatural tone in the baby's skin, her resolve only seeming to strengthen. "Even if I won't be around to guide you."
She started to work carefully, measuring the ingredients into the cauldron, her eyes gravitating from the book towards her son. Every grasp of breath and whine of pain pushing her to move faster. She ensured to move medical plants closer around the infant to try and give easier access to oxygen as she worked. Any additional time it gave her was greatly appreciated.
Her hair started to frazzle as she continued to add ingredients into the cauldron waiting for the perfect color and boil before moving to the next steps. She worked quickly and accurately with only the soft gasp of her baby to guide her. It wasn’t until she flipped the page and saw that she had reached the final step that she gave a soft smile. She walked over to the bassinet slowly picking the baby into her arms and kissed the baby's forehead.
"No matter what mon petit Dragon know this, I have always and will always love you. You, my love, are not just a Malfoy heir. You are Draco Lucius Regulus Malfoy Black." She slowly submerged the baby into the cauldron, the water no longer boiling but instead glowing a beautiful silver. She let her hand hover over the water and the infant before pulling out a ritualistic dagger. “Le sacrifice d'une mère n'est rien d'autre que de l'amour pur, mon petit dragon” [A mothers sacrifice is nothing but pure love dragon] She ran the dagger over her wrist seeing the blood drip onto the water instantly turning it a bright gold. The cauldron illuminated the room making Narcissa shield her eyes. She could feel the warmth of her body start to drain out of her, her magical signature getting weaker, which only meant her infant’s was growing stronger. She felt a smile grace her features before the slamming of her study made her turn away from the Cauldron.
"No," she spoke barely above a whisper. "Please! Let me finish this, please!" The desperation growing in her voice as the person ran across the room. In a quick motion her hand was ripped away from the Cauldron and she was yanked back
"Are you insane! Cissa.” The voice shouted with anger and fear as he held her wrist, trying to stop the blood. “I made a vow to protect you, I promised him!" The voice grew to a shout as he ripped the cloak to hold her wrist tighter. Narcissa tried to focus on the sight of her worried friend he body feeling so heavy, unknown if it was the blood loss or the magic she was using.
"He's dead ... .Sever..us." She whispered before letting the darkness overtake her vision and allowing her to collapse in her friend's arms.
Snape
Severus Snape's normally stoic eyes widened in horror as he moved to the floor still holding to Narcissa’s limp form. He pulled his wand tracing delicate patterns softly singing “Vulnera Sanetur.” His voice wavering only once the skin had been stitched closed and bleeding seemed to have ceased. “You foolish woman.” He hissed, his voice wavering with panic he rarely showed.
The golden light from the cauldron began to fade, turning back to the silver it had once been. Snape set Narcissa down looking to the cauldron and seeing the infant floating peacefully within its depths. The child's tiny chest starts to rise and fall with steady healthy breaths. The pale translucent skin now takes a subtle rosey hue. Then the child’s eyes opened and Severus saw those familiar Black family silver eyes. The room was than filled with the screams of the child as he thrashed in the water. Snape ran to the cauldron pulling the infant out and bringing him close to his chest. He felt both fear and joy at hearing the baby’s healthy screams.
His eyes looked over the table. "What have you done?" Severus whispered, his voice barely audible. The ancient text lay open beside the cauldron, its pages covered in archaic runes and symbols. Symbols that made his blood run cold. He recognized fragments of it - old magic, blood magic, the kind that demanded terrible prices.
He held the child close as he felt tears well up in his eyes. If the child was screaming and breathing he could only imagine what that ment. Slowly he leaned down his friend touching her wrist expecting to feel the sensation of Death’s cold grip but instead was met with the warm thumb of a heart beat.
Narcissa's eyelids fluttered weakly. "The... the ritual," she breathed, her voice barely a whisper. "It…..is he…" She couldn’t finish the words seeing the child and expecting the worst if she was alive.
Severus glanced toward the cauldron where little Draco had been floating moments before than to his dear friend. “He…is alive, Narcissa...” He looked at the witch puzzled and confused "What exactly did you do?"
"Ancient... Black family blood magic," she managed, her head lolling against his shoulder. "But, I should not be alive right now Sev..." She reached out as Severus gently handed Draco to his mother, the baby easily snuggling up to her.
“But you are, you both are.” He said with the same shocked voice. He knew of dark magic, blood magic, There was never something given without a cost, but Narciassa was alive, he could feel her magic weak but present.
The sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the corridors. Lucius's voice carried from somewhere in the house, shouting orders to house-elves about contacting more healers, more specialists, anyone who might save his heir.
"He cannot find you like this," Severus said urgently, carefully lifting Narcissa in his arms. "We both know your husband's fascination with anything dark arts related.” Narcissa’s eyes went dark as she nodded knowing what the other meant. “Take us back to the room, and take that book with you Severus, if anyone can hide it, it would be you.”
Severus looked down at the ancient tome, its leather binding seeming to pulse with residual magic. Without hesitation, he lifted Narcissa up and out of her study knowing to come looking for the book once Lucius was otherwise occupied.
Snape had just set Narcissa down on the chair in Draco’s Nursery when Lucius' voice boomed through the hallway.
"Narcissa! I've contacted three more specialists from Germany, and there's an experimental treatment we—"
The door burst open, and Lucius Malfoy strode in, his usually immaculate appearance disheveled from panic and haste. He stopped short at the scene before him: Severus standing near Narcissa who was slumped in her chair holding a bundle. She looked deathly pale.
"Is it too late?" Lucius demanded, his gray eyes darting between them. "Severus.” He paused, his face paling as he truly looked at his wife. "What's wrong?"
"She just collapsed from exhaustion" Severus said smoothly, his voice betraying nothing of the truth. "I arrived to find her in this state and your son his breathing had returned." He moved away from Narcissa allowing Lucius to see the bundle breathing softly in her arms.
Lucius looked down at his wife and his heir, and for the first time in hours, his face showed something other than desperate fear. Draco's breathing was clear and strong, his tiny fists clenched with healthy vigor rather than the desperate grasping of a dying child.
"I... I don't understand," Lucius whispered. "The healers said there was nothing more they could do. How is he...?"
"Sometimes," Severus said carefully, "a mother's love can work miracles that even the finest healers cannot comprehend." He glanced meaningfully at Narcissa, who managed a weak but genuine smile as she watched her husband.
"We should go to St. Mungo's," Narcissa said softly, forcing herself to sit up straighter. "Let them examine him properly. But I believe... I believe our little dragon is going to be just fine."
“I knew that healer was an imbecile, I swear they are going to get an earful when we get there.” He left the room shouting for the house elves to prepare their items to floo to the hospital.
Narcissa caught Severus's eye one last time. In that look was a universe of gratitude, and a silent plea to keep her secret. Severus nodded, tho his mind went to the book in the study knowing that something had not gone according to plan.