A Snake, A Bird, and A Fawn

two

Cecily sat patiently in her cupboard on the eve of September the First, hands sat demurely in her lap and her nicest outfit on. Of course, her hair was still greasy and tangled and her best outfit was a shirt from when Dudley was five and the only pair of underwear her uncle had yet to rip, but it was a start.

At precisely midnight, she heard the front door of Number 4 Privet Drive click open and quiet footsteps make their way to her cupboard. A quiet murmur was heard from outside as the lock popped open, and a pair of legs came into view.

A man with long, silvery hair tied into a slick ponytail crouched down, cane clutched in hand. His blue eyes softened with sympathy and horror as he gazed at the dark haired girl who clearly hadn't seen the light of day in forever.

"Oh, darling," he sighed sadly, unable to tear his eyes away from the obviously abused little girl.

Cecily didn't say a word, simply kept her gaze firmly on his polished shoes.

"Can you crawl out here with your things, darling? I'm here to take you to my home before we send you to Hogwarts," he spoke calmly, doing his best to hide the rage in his voice, not wanting to scare the girl.

Cecily did as told, stumbling out of her little room and assuming the position most natural to her. On her knees and eyes down.

Lucius put a hand over his mouth and furrowed his brows in agony when he saw her. How could anyone do this to a child?

He choked on his words, but was finally able to let out a coherent sentence. "St-stand up, sweetheart. There will be no need to do that ever again. From here on out, you are an equal to anyone you meet."

Cecily stood on shaky legs before peering up with thinly veiled curiosity and fear. "Does-does that mean I can speak, sir?"

Her voice was hoarse and sore from lack of use, but sweet nonetheless.

Lucius nodded. "Of course, darling. You can speak as much as you wish. No one will stop you or punish you for such a thing."

Cecily thought back to the letter she had received, remembering that she would be treated very differently here. She had no reason to trust this man, but she also had no reason to dismiss him as untrustworthy.

So she simply looked up at him and met his eyes for the first time.

Something there was familiar, something she imagined having a father felt like. Soft and comforting, a feeling of fierce, unshakable protection.

Lucius' eyes widened when he felt the parental bond between him and Cecily Potter form, but he welcomed it. "Come along, darling. We're going to my manor and my wife is going to help get you cleaned up," he told her softly, a hand hovering at her lower back but not touching her. "She'll help you get a bath, find you some nice clothes, and even get some of those little tangles out of your hair," he added teasingly, hoping it would break the tense atmosphere as he shooed her gently out of the house.

Cecily giggled and reached up to touch her hair. Lucius practically melted at the innocent sound.

The blond crouched down in front of the younger girl. "Do you know what apparation is?" At her shake of the head he continued. "It's like teleportation for wizards. I'm going to hold your hand, and we'll appear at the manor. It may make you feel a bit sick, but my wife is a healer, so she can make your tummy feel better really fast. Is that alright?" he asked.

Cecily pouted a bit at the idea of a tummy ache but nodded. And when he reached out a pale hand, she didn't hesitate to take it.

The sensation of apperating was not pleasant in the least. Cecily's small hand covered her mouth as a wave of nausea rolled over her stomach, but it passed quickly. Lucius watched with concern until she gave him a shaky smile.

Once inside the manor, Cecily looked around in awe. Everything was white with black and gold accents. A fancy sort of stone made up the floor and staircases, and rugs that felt amazing under her bare feet covered the walkways.

A bustling sound drew her out of her thoughts, and a beautiful woman with blonde hair appeared from the top of the stairs. Cecily watched her with awe in her eyes. She wanted to look just like her when she grew up.

Narcissa did her best to hide the tears in her silvery eyes when she saw the Potter girl. She felt the motherly connection forming between the two and didn't hesitate to accept it. She would never let anyone hurt the precious darling again.

Crouching down with a comforting grin, Narcissa addressed the little girl. "Hello, sweetie. My name is Narciss, I'm Lucius' wife. What's your name?"

Cecily watched the beautiful woman with a small smile. She was amazing. "Cecily."

Narcissa grinned. "And how old are you, Cecily?"

"Fifteen! My birthday was only a little bit ago!"

Narcissa's smile wavered. She didn't look any older than twelve!

"That's amazing, darling! I'll make sure to get you a belated gift, but for now, why don't we get a nice bath, hmm?"

Cecily nodded excitedly, wanting to spend time with Narcissa. Lucius grinned down at his girls.

"Yay!" Narcissa clapped. "Let's go upstairs, we have an amazing bathtub with lots of pretty smelling shampoos and soaps. Lucius is going to get you some clothes while I help with your hair, doesn't that sound nice?"

Cecily looked up at her in awe. "I get to have clothes?"

Narcissa's heart snapped in half. The poor girl hadn't even been allowed clothes, for Merlin's sake! She would never let anyone lay a hand on her, that was a promise.

Lucius spoke up, knowing his wife was plotting a murder and didn't want to interrupt her. "Of course, darling. We'll just be getting a few for now, but soon we're going to take you shopping. We have a son your age and he would absolutely love to come with us. You would get along wonderfully."

Cecily nodded along attentively, not wanting to miss a word. "What's he like?"

Lucius smiled softly at her obvious interest in his family. "His name is Draco, and he just turned fifteen on the fifth of June. He loves reading and he's amazing at quidditch, though he prefers to relax in the library than fly. He would adopt a million animals if he could, as well," he chuckled.

At this point, Lucius was still holding Cecily's hand as they stood in front of a luxurious bathroom, Narcissa clambering around inside as she drew a bath.

"It's ready," she called from the counter, digging around in a cabinet for a specific shampoo that she insisted would be perfect for Cecily's curls.

Lucius looked down at the Potter girl. "Are you ready to tame the little rat's nest?" he asked with faux seriousness.

Cecily giggled as she tried to copy his expression, mockingly saluting to him as she marched into the restroom.

Lucius shook his head with a sad grin. Who could ever hurt someone so precious?