Cold Skin

Thirty-Four: Wars Within Families

Evening Prophet, August 15th 1996

Oh, baby! Gianna Nott and Theodore Nott Jr were seen leaving St. Mungos late this morning with a pram and a new baby! We got an exclusive quote from Gianna herself and her plans for the coming future as she enters motherhood. "I am so excited to embark on this journey with Theo." She explains. "I have decided to go back to work at Hogwarts this coming September." See pg 11 for Gianna's and Theodore's inspiration behind the name "Regulus Alexander."

***

September 1996

Ginny came into the hospital wing holding onto her left arm. There was very little colour in her face when she looked Gia's way. When Gia made eye contact with the redhead she nodded to an empty bed in the centre of the room. "Hey Gin,"

"Hey Gee," She breathed. Her breathing was quick when she pulled off her shirt to a deep purple bruise on her upper arm. "Bludgers."

"I figured. How is quidditch?" She made her way over to the potions cabinet and grabbed the purple paste.

A small smile spread across her face. "Good. Harry is doing really well as captain." She blushed when she mentioned Harry. Gia tried to share Ginny's praise, but she felt somewhat remorseful at the lack of relationship between them as of recent.

"Well Gin, this should clear up by the end of the day. Just apply this every hour." She handed her a small glass jar of paste. Ginny stuffed it into her pockets and grabbed Gia's hands.

"When can I see my nephew?"

"Ginny..." She sighed. Ginny squeezed harder when she saw the tears in Gia's eyes.

"Just let him know that he always has his Aunt Ginny."

***

November 1996

"Draco, you can't lock yourself in your dorm for all of term," Gia said as she tucked the sheets tightly around the bruised Ravenclaw. "Draco!"

"Yeah yeah. No locking myself in the fish tank." He spat. She made her way over to her white-blonde cousin. She smoothed Murtlap paste onto his Dark Mark. "Going home over Christmas?"

She sighed. She knew what he was asking. Was Alice coming with her to Narcissa's New Year's Eve Ball? "I'm going back to Alderley Edge when term ends. We are spending Christmas Eve with my father and Tonks." She noticed that he was rubbing the skin around his forearm. "I told Cissy I would spend Christmas day until New Years with her."

"And Allie?" He asked. "How's Allie?"

"She's fine, Dee. Is the dittany working?" She watched as he scratched furiously at his arm. "I'll try to mend the skin again."

He pulled his robes down over his arm. "It's fine Gee. I'm fine. Leave it." He sighed as he stormed out of the hospital wing. "I love you."

"I love you too."

***

December 1996

Gia had no idea how to travel with a six-month-old. Travelling between houses was fine. She had two nurseries set up at each house. One for Regulus and one for her nephew, Edwin, a much more mischievous little tyke for only being in the crawling stage. His teething stage had made him practically unbearable but Gia loved him all the same, just not when he wailed like a banshee.

"Gia! Gia, it's bloody Christmas and if you aren't at Molly's in ten minutes I will drag you and that husband of yours out of this house myself." Alice spat from beneath the stairs. "Ow! Eddie that hurt mummy. No biting, love."