Unforgivables

Chapter 10: Eggs with a side of News

The next morning brought about a nervous Harry, who apologized profusely for disturbing the Malfoy's sleep. The couple, still mostly asleep, forgave the child immediately, stating how they didn't mind the interruption.

"I'm only glad that you fell back to sleep. I know that couldn't have been easy with how frightening your dream must have been," Narcissa moves up to the headboard before placing the small boy on her lap. "Do you think you could tell us what your dream was about, little one?"

"D-Dumbledore took me a-away and h-hurt all of y-you," Harry stutters out in a small voice while looking with his pajama pants. "I don't want a-anyone hurt 'c-cause of me. I s-should just go."

Lucius hooks a finger underneath Harry's chin, promting him to look up. "You aren't going anywhere. If you haven't noticed already this family has adopted you as one of our own. That means we will protect you with the very last breath in each of our bodies. I can't speak for everyone but I already love and care for you as if you belonged to Narcissa and I all along."

"B-b-but there's nothing t-to l-love," Harry has silent tears running down his face. "I'm just a b-burden that intrudes on n-normal f-families. I don't deserve--"

"I'm going to stop you right there, Narcissa cuts him off. "You are not a burden. You are not a freak. Your relatives should be ashamed of themselves for how they raised you. No one deserves such treatment."

"Even me?"

"Especially you, little one. Now let's get you changed and ready for breakfast."

After a quick bath, which Harry remains quiet and compliant in as he leans into the caring, gentle hands, and allowing the child to pick his own clothes out of the new wardrobe Narcissa and Bellatrix picked out the small group is ready to face the rest of the family.

"Good morning everyone," Lucius greets as he takes his seat.

Pleasantries are exchanged just before everyone digs into their meal, or pick at it in Harry's case.

"What do you want to do today, Harry?" Draco tries to engage the younger boy in conversation only to recieve a shrug.

"Dunno."

"We could go out to play in the garden. Or maybe back to my room? What do you think?"

"Dunno." The Malfoy family owl comes swooping in to drop a letter onto Lucius's lap.

"We have peacocks that we can play with, but we have to be really gentle with them."

"I can be gentle," Harry takes one last bite before getting up and approaching Severus. "Bot- Potions now?"

Severus immediately cradles Harry before summoning a house elf to bring him the bottle, what Harry really wanted to ask for.

"Tom, Severus I need to speak with the both of you in my office," Lucius states in an offhanded manor, but the two men can easily pick out the consern laced in his voice. Something in that letter put the Malfoy Lord on edge. The women noticed his change as well but Narcissa was too busy distracting Draco with other fun ideas.

"We can start off in in the gardens then do different things throughout the day," the young Slytherin ultimately desides. Once Harry is done with his drink the pair accend the stairs without any idea of the private conversation going on a floor below them.

Lucius makes sure the door to his office is properly warded against any and all passing ears before sitting at his desk.

"The letter was from Augusta," he addresses the two men across from him.

"Why would Lady Longbottom require your services?"

"Last I heard she locked herself in Longbottom Manor and has been refusing visitors for quite some time."