Christmas with Father

I hear a knock at the door. "Theo? It's Father. Can I come in?" whispers a deep voice.

"Yes, it's open." I hope it's still open, I haven't yet retrieved my wand and I can't quite find the energy to open it manually.

Father enters with a big smile on his face and a Happy Christmas half out of his mouth before he looks at me closely and his countenance falls. "Son, what is it? Are you unwell?"

"How much do you know of Professor Snape?" I ask carefully. I force myself to stand up and retrieve my wand, anything to stop the worry in his eyes. "Would you like a drink?"

"We were Death Eaters together. I could trust him almost as much as I could Lucius. Why?"

"If I wrote Christmas cards to my old Professors, he'd be off the list." I explain, feeling rather irritated. This is the first Christmas I've had on speaking terms with my father since I was eight. If for nothing else he's done today I will make Snape pay for ruining that. "He paid me a visit today, Merlin only knows what he was talking about, something about a gift I sent to Narcissa. Only instead of explaining he decided to force his way into my mind and use the crutiatus curse on me when I fought him. If he's innocent as the Prophet says then I've been reading the wrong dictionary definitions."

Father's eyebrows knit together in concern. "He crucioed you?" I see the anger rise within him. "I will deal with him," he says, his voice ice cold.

I shake my head, "I'm not a child anymore. I can fight my own battles, and next time I will not give him the opportunity to draw his wand." I don't actually remember seeing him draw his wand, when he Apparated in he already had it drawn. I should have expected nothing else from a Slytherin of course, no such thing as honour or fighting on equal terms, though I have to say I'm impressed he felt as a mere 19 year old I warrented such an advantage to take down.

"Then he will deal with each of us. Did he give you any reason for why he did this to you?" His voice is still cold and cruel. I get a glimpse of him as a Death Eater.

"I can only assume it has something to do with Narcissa and that wretched gift I'm supposed to have sent her, but if it wasn't from me who would put my name? And what 'gift' would cause Snape to react in such a way?" I shrug off my father's tone. His anger is not directed at me, it never has been, so I have no cause for concern around him. "I really thought Narcissa..." I sigh and shake my head. Witches, it doesn't matter whether you're sleeping with them, dating them or just friends. They're all more trouble than they're worth.

"Narcissa would not send him after you like that. She trusts us both. She went out of her way to help us. Snape may be foolish enough to go off on no evidence like that, but Narcissa would not. Nor would she send anyone to investigate. Let's go to the Manor, talk to her," he suggests.

I shake my head, "I'm having nothing more to do with that witch. With the exception of finding my father again, she's been nothing but trouble. First Bellatrix, then Fenrir, now Snape. Next thing I know I'll have Lucius after me. I'm not a coward but I don't pick fights I have no hope in hell of winning." With the exception of Greyback it seems.

"Besides, we don't even know what Snape was investigating. Normally a gift is a good thing."

"Lucius helped you too. He's not going to go after you. You are not being fair to her. I know why Bellatrix and Greyback are after her. And if there was a problem with them today, I can see why Snape reacted the way he did, even though he was dead wrong and I will make him pay for what he did to you. But Narcissa needs your friendship. She has never given you anything but friendship, Theo. We owe her."

"I've been crutioed twice, had my chest ripped open, my mind torn apart, been forced to relive things from this past year I never wanted to think about again, all for trying to protect her. I don't owe her anything." I grumble irritably.

"You are thinking just like your mother would have. As much as I loved her, once she was angry, there was no reasoning with her." He sighs. "If you choose not to pay your debt to Narcissa, that is your choice. But I will pay it for you, along with my own."

I still slightly and smile, remembering my mother. I can't ever remember her angry, but as alike as my father and I are physically, our temperament is not similar. It stands to reason I should get it from my mother. "I wish you better fortune in paying your debt," I say stubbornly, though my anger is subsiding somewhat.

"Is your owl available?" he asks.

"Only if you get her out of the aviary; I've been bruised enough for one day; I do not fancy losing blood to that winged demon." I say seriously.

"Fine." Father begins writing and when he gets up to get the owl, I read what he has written.

"I hope you're right about her," I tell him when he returns with my owl.

"I know I am. She would never hurt you, Theo." He looks at me closely. "Do you know why they are after her?"

"I have my suspicions. And she doesn't need to hurt me; she has henchmen to do it for her."

"I have known Narcissa longer than you. She's had her own hurts. She would not do this to you--including by sending a henchman so to speak." He rolls up the note and ties it to my owl's leg. As usual with others the bird is perfectly behaved, bordering on affectionate.

"So are you going to tell me why they're after her and why Snape is suddenly turning bulldog over it?" I ask, glaring at my owl. Xiva looks back at me with her odd eyes, satan incarnate with feathers.

"She has a secret. It isn't mine to share. But Bellatrix wants it. She intends to imprison Narcissa, then take it from her when it is time. I was there when she told Narcissa this. Greyback has entered into her service. I think he plans on taking the spoils. This is not Narcissa's fault. She does need our help."

I frown, my father being in the same location with Bellatrix as such a casual occurance means only one thing. "So she's waiting until the baby's born?" I ask throwing caution to the wind, "How long does Narcissa have?"

Father does a double take. "So you do know. I think she's almost six months along. She could protect herself if it weren't for the baby. I don't like the look on your face, son. Andromeda wasn't invited to where I was. Neither was Narcissa. She was spying on Lucius and the two sisters ran into each other. Bellatrix Legilimanned her sister."

"She didn't tell me, but walking between places instead of Apparating, uncomplicated foods to avoid upsetting her stomach, and a sudden fondness for ginger? When we met to talk for the first time at the Manor, I had my suspicions then, everything since then...things Bellatrix said, all led to one conclusion." I shrug, "As for my expression...what use is it if Narcissa wins your freedom if you're still committing the crimes that lost you it in the first place?" I ask in desperation.

"I was not committing crimes. But I continue to be Lucius's friend. If anything, I was watching a friend's back. That is all. As far as your conclusion, then you already understood why she needs us."

"I had my suspicions, nothing confirmed until you said so." I sigh, deciding to let the matter of my father hanging around with Death Eaters drop. I am not his keeper, and I refuse to get into one of those parent child relationships where the roles are reversed. Asking him where he's been and with whom everytime he goes somewhere.

Father looks up, "How long does she usually take to go to Malfoy Manor and back?" he asks.

"Day in good weather, more if it's bad."

"I wonder if they are still there . . . Lucius has a hideaway . . . they may have fled if whatever Bellatrix and Greyback did in your name was bad enough." He looks worried.

I swear and slam my fist into the wall. Right now I'm not sure whether I'm more angry at Snape's assumption of my guilt or at Bellatrix using my name to hurt someone I consider to be a friend. "There's nothing we can do for her until she contacts us. Shall we see if we can recapture some Christmas cheer and enjoy this day?"

Father sighs. "Yes. It's been too long. Shall I make the mulled wine?"

I nod, the main meal is already prepared and just in need of heating up. The starter, smoked mackeral paté wrapped in smoked salmon, is already on the table waiting. It has been a long time since we had a 'family' Christmas, but it feels good. I flick my wand at the old Christmas music box I found, the lid opening and the gears slowly turning causing the notes to ping out clearly. It had once been my mother's. I vaguely remember sitting with her listening to the songs it played at this time of year. I wonder if my father remembers...

I turn and look at Father, to see him hurriedly wiping his eyes. When he sees I am looking, he comes up to me and hugs me tightly. "Happy Christmas, Son," he whispers.