Lily, My Child Always

All I have

Narcissa looked at Severus "You knew it was going to come out sooner or later. You couldn't hide her forever. Severus, she's 16 years old. She needs to live sooner or later." Severus let out a sob "Narcissa you don't understand! She's all I have! I LOST LILY TO JAMES! And then I lost them to the Dark Lord!"

Narcissa saw the pain in Severus's eyes, "I know how you feel..I'm worrying about Draco...he's the only child we have..if we lost him, we would loose everything. The Malfoy line would be over..." Severus looked at the blonde woman, "She's all I have! I promised I would keep her safe! I hid her from everyone to keep her safe...I never wanted her to see those meetings. I told her to stay up there for a reason.."
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Draco looked at Lillian softly "How come I've never seen you? You've been at Hogwarts for 6 years...you've never seen a quittich game? Or sat in the Great Hall for dinner?" Lillian sighed softly and looked at him "My father made me stay hidden. He said it was for my own good....today I was curious and so I came down..and now he hates me.." teared up and sat on the bed.

Draco sat beside her "Snape does that to everyone. My first week of school he hated everyone after 45 minutes of class." He looked at her and handed her a tissue, "..here..when he comes up, he can't see you like that. It only makes it worse. Trust me."   

Lillian nodded and dabbed at her eyes with the tissue. She had never realized why her father was so tough on her. However, now she had to do as she was told.."So..what's your idea for the task?" Draco looked at her, "Maybe a poisoned wine? To be gifted to Dumbledore through another teacher?"  She looked at him, a bit impressed, "That might work..we would just have to make sure that it made it.."

There was a knock on the door, followed by an extremely low, nasally voice, which could only be identified as one, "Lillian..come down to the parlor. We must talk."  Following the voice were footsteps walking away.

Draco looked at her, "You should go..they won't be as nice soon." Lillian nodded and dried her eyes once again before heading down the long set of stairs that led to the parlor. She walked in and was greeted by Narcissa.

Narcissa looked to her "Lillian, darling, your father needs to talk to you about what happened today. Hopefully everything will clear up. Have a seat." She motioned to the open seat beside her. Lucius sat in the tall armchair to the left of her and her father in the shorter one to her right. Lillian had a seat and looked into the dark, cold eyes of the pale figure she once thought had loved her.

The man cleared his voice and looked at her, "Lillian, sweetheart...I wanted to protect you. You're all I have. I've been with you since I was in my 7th year. Your mother left us. I lost everything when I lost her. I couldn't loose you too."

Lillian looked at him "I'm 16. At some point I should be able to come out from the shadows and not be hidden. Thanks to you I have no friends. I've never been to a quittich match. I've never experienced a true sorting ceremony...or an All Hallows' Eve dinner. I spent all of those either locked in a cupboard behind the biggest portrait in front of the third corridor or in the kitchen talking to the house elves and that is a fact." She started to tear up once more and Narcissa hugged her softly. Lillian continued "I had to imagine the voices I've heard through the walls since I can remember. I never truly knew what Draco looked like until today. 16 years of fantasy. 16 years of wonder, fear, wishing something better than this..this...this HELL HOLE LIFE!" She started to hysterically sob before running out of the room.

Narcissa followed behind her "Lillian wait..there's more that you don't know." Lillian turned on her heel "No. There's one story. That man hid life from me. I never had anything before now." She let out a pain filled wail "You don't understand! You were normal!"

Draco heard the louder voices and came from his room. He walked toward his mother and Lillian, "Lillian..come with me..we need to get you calmed down.." Lillian looked at him "Alright. You're the only person that isn't trying to tell me I'm in the wrong."

As they left and vanished back into Draco's room, Lucius and Severus continued below.

"Severus..she has a bit of a point.." Lucius admitted, "She has been sheltered too much. I mean..never seeing a quittich game? Every child remembers their first game."

Severus looked at Lucius "She's the only daughter I have. I can't let her go. Without her, I'm alone. It's to keep her safe"

Narcissa entered softly "Severus..you have to let her live. This year, let her be normal. No hiding..she'll have enough on her place as it is with the task. She needs the support of the other students. Not just you. You only know so much and you told me that yourself 16 years ago when you asked for our help and that is a fact." She had a motherly glare in her eyes which he hadn't seen in years.

A very tough choice indeed.