Your Grief is My Grief [DM] sequel to Beauty and the Beast

Chapter Thirty-Four

Lizzie's POV:

When I woke up the next morning, my face was creased with the lines of the duvet and the sun that was shining through the window was blinding me. I brought my hand up to shield my face as I stood up and crossed the room to pull the curtains shut.

Last night, I hadn't had half the mind to observe the room that Draco had chosen for my mum, seeing as I was too preoccupied with caring for her, but now I had time to look around. It was very similar in structure to the bedroom that I stayed in when I stayed at Malfoy Manor, but the coloring was different. Where my room's walls were cream, this room's walls were a light grey. Where my bedroom's blankets were emerald green, this room's were a dark blue-grey.

My fragile mother was wrapped up in these blankets, looking like a caterpillar in a cocoon. She had become so skinny over the few months that she had been locked up that I feared she would never gain that muscle back. She had been my rock for years, always there for me to lean on when I needed her, but now I had to be hers.

I walked back over to the bed and placed a hand on my mum's forehead. She had finally warmed up. Now for the weight problem...

"Winny," I stated clearly and loudly, bracing myself for the apparation. The small house elf apparated into the room within seconds, curtseying low to the ground. "Hello, Winny," I smiled.

"Hello, Miss Lizzie," she squeaked back with a tentative smile.

"My mother here is very sick. She's lost a great deal of weight over the last few months and I would appreciate it if you could bring up a peanut butter sandwich and a glass of water."

"Winny would be happy to help Miss Lizzie and Miss Lizzie's mother. Winny will be back with Miss Lizzie's mother's sandwich and water," Winny chirped.

"Thank you very much, Winny." The house elf gave a quick nod of her head before apparating from the room with a snap of her fingers. I sat back down in the chair that I had slept in and placed a hand on my mum's shoulder. "Mum," I said quietly, trying to shake the woman from her slumber. "Mum, time to wake up."

"Wha-" she croaked, barely lifting her eyelids.

"I have a house elf coming up with a sandwich, do you think you can sit up a little?" She gave a miniscule tip of her head, and I slipped my hands under her neck and back, supporting her as she attempted to sit up. Her vertebrae poked into my hand.

"Winny is back with Miss Lizzie's mother's sandwich and water," the house elf squeaked after she apparated into the bedroom, making my mum flinch.

"Thank you, Winny. Could you bring it here, please?" I pat the empty area on the blanket beside me, where Winny placed the small platter with a sandwich on it. She handed me the glass of water before she gave another curtsey and apparated from the room.

"What was that?" my mum murmured so quietly I had to bring my ear closer to her mouth to hear her.

"That was a creature called a house elf. Wizards use them like servants in their home," I explained. "Now, I had Winny, the house elf, bring you a peanut butter sandwich, do you think you could eat some of it?" Mum nodded, so I brought the sandwich. She took a small bite and chewed for quite a while.

I continued to feed her bites of the sandwich until she protested. She had managed to finish almost half of it. I placed the sandwich back on the platter and moved it to the night table. "I have some water too, would you like a drink?"

"Yes," she begged.

I realized as I helped her drink how little food and water she must have had over the last few months. Obviously her captors fed and watered her enough to keep her alive but not enough to keep her healthy. Humans can only survive about three days without water and about three weeks without food. She looked like she had only been fed about that much.