Loving Lily: A Snily Story

Chapter 31 - Unexpected Guest

Lucius and Severus were left alone in the living room after their wives carried the toddlers up the stairs.

"He's a fine lad, Severus." Lucius nodded at the sleeping, black-haired baby in his friend's arms.

"Thank you, Lucius." Severus replied, "It is my sincerest hope that he'll grow to be strong."

A silent moment passed between the two friends.

Lucius's expression of cordial happiness fell away.

Severus's face slipped into a frown as he remarked, "........I can see the worry in your eyes."

"Then you can clearly observe that I'm beside myself with doubt and deliberation, day and night." Lucius sighed.

Severus's frown became even more anguished as he watched Lucius's bold confession shatter his usual, stoic demeanor.

"..........Over what we witnessed in the forest?" Severus asked.

"Keep your voice down!" Lucius snapped.

Severus blinked at his hateful outburst before Lucius held up a hand in a gesture that Severus took as more pleading than demanding.

He heaved a great breath before he closed his grey eyes for a second, opened them, and revealed, "Narcissa knows nothing of that night."

Severus furrowed his brow as he drawled, ".....May I ask when you plan on telling her?"

"First, I'm desperately trying to sort out our problem!" Lucius hissed.

Severus studied the etched lines that stress had carved into Lucius Malfoy's face as his longtime friend exclaimed, "Severus, what are we going to do?!"

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Lily used her ruse to the fullest extent as she and Narcissa laid Harriet and Draco down for a nap in Harriet's cot.

By the time their little heads hit the plush pillow, both of the children were fast asleep.

Mrs. Snape and Mrs. Malfoy stood next to the cot for a moment while they watched Harriet and Draco rest.

Lily expected to return downstairs as silently as she had come, but Narcissa surprised her when she unexpectedly reached out and clasped her hand.

Narcissa looked over at Lily as Lily blinked back with wide eyes.

"Thank you." Narcissa said to Lily with genuine sincerity in her voice.

"I......beg....your pardon?" Lily asked slowly, eager to maintain her deception of struggling with English.

"Thank you for giving Severus a family." Narcissa elaborated as she nodded again, "He deserves this happiness."

Lily looked directly into Narcissa's blue gaze as the other witch's stare bore into hers.

She found the moment surprisingly moving as Narcissa squeezed her hand tightly before she let go, stepped past Lily, and walked out of the nursery.

Lily blamed it on her postpartum hormones, but as she stood there for a moment while she pondered Narcissa's touching statement, tears welled in her emerald eyes.

She blinked them back as a wide smile danced across her lips after she peered down into the cot again.

In their sleep, little Harriet and Draco had cuddled against each other, soothed by one another's warmth as they skipped through pleasant dreams.

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Lucius and Severus met for occasional meetings after that day.