A Rose By Any Other Name

Chapter 9

One week had passed. It had been the longest one Lucius had ever felt. Not being able to see his wife. His daughter

He decided to apparate to St Mungo, in the hopes that today would be the day that Narcissa would be given the all clear and would be allowed to finally come home. As he strolled down the now all too familiar corridor he spotted a doctor outside the room he knew contained his wife. He saw the man wave to the occupant of the room as he exited the room to continue his daily rounds

"Excuse me sir" asked Lucius, grabbing the man's ice colour coat as he did so "Where is my wife?". He stared into the room which now contained a dark haired woman who looked quite a bit older then his wife, spotting the wrinkles under her eyes and on her petite forehead

"I'm not sure sir" replied the doctor, who was clearly flustered by Lucius' demanding request. "I would ask Heather, our new receptionist, over there. If anyone is going to know, she will. Good day sir" said the Doctor, who rolled his eyes and settled them back onto his gigantic patient list but instead of going to the next patients room on his list, he slumped off to the staff room/doctors rest room, obviously sleep deprived

Lucius reluctantly strolled over to the main reception desk in the entrance area, cutting in front of an elderly witch near the front of the queue. The receptionist, who Lucius guessed to be Heather, looked up to Lucius in a sheer look of disgust

"Excuse me sir, what makes you think you can just push in front of everyone else ? Do you believe you are better than everyone else here ?" Shouted the now angered receptionist. She was clearly young, couldn't be more than 25, Lucius was guessing. He wasn't the best at guessing at ages, he would even know that his wife was 38, she looked only around 26. The receptionist had mouse brown hair and freckles, almost resembling that bookworm witch Hermione Granger in Draco's year at Hogwarts

"Do you know who I am ?" Said Lucius in a stand off ish yet authoritative tone as he tapped his right foot impatiently in the tiled floor, waiting for the woman's reply

"I don't care who you are. I have other people here so if you don't mind" she went to gesture to the back of the queue but she was cut off by someone who just had to be the woman's boss, who hastily said through gritted teeth of embarrassment

"I think you should care, especially when he is Lucius Malfoy". Her eyes were Brady and the receptionist simply smiled before slyly sneering back

"Oh yes Lucius Malfoy. The man who drove his wife bonkers. She has already left"

Her boss quickly stopped her from speaking as she stepped out from the desk. She politely asked her employee to step aside and wait in the staff room which she reluctantly obliged

"I deeply apologise for Heather's distasteful behaviour. You know these young ones. Your wife wife was discharged this morning"

"Do you know where she went ?" He asked incredulously

"I don't know sir" she replied  in an apologetic tone as she shook her head

Lucius tutted loudly, becoming increasingly more angry by the second " This is supposed to be a hospital not a 24 hour shopping mall. What, do you let all of your patients walk in and out as they please?"

"I beg your pardon sir"

"My wife" Lucius continued "Is a very sick woman. She is mentally unstable and I don't know what she might do. I mean, she could be anywhere by now."

"I am sorry sir but a fully qualified doctor discharged Mrs Malfoy. We don't keep tabs on all of our patients once they leave" said the lady as she turned to head towards the office opposite her