Unforgivables

Chapter 5: Tasteful Affair

No one knows quite what to say. Even Bella, who had been dealing with Harry's panic attacks until this point, is rendered speechless. Thankfully the familiar pop signifying the arrival of a house elf breaks the awkward atmosphere with its news.

"It's being time for Master Harry Potter's bottle."

"Thank you, Kipper," the elf places the glass bottle in between Severus and Lucius, the later getting to it first, before disapparating.

Lucius looks triumphant at his victory. With the bottle in hand, he tries to capture Harry's gaze to no avail. The boy remains with his feet pulling into the chair, knees firmly folded to rest under his chin if not for the glass of water still pressed against his body. 

"Harry," he tentatively calls out only for the said boy to flinch and curl more into himself. "Can you come over here for a minute."

Slowly, painfully slow, the small boy sets his glass down and makes his way around the large table to stand in front of the Malfoy Patriarch. Only to let out a loud squeak when he's picked up and placed on his lap, slightly reclined.

Lucius decided to take a different approach with the Potter heir. Under normal circumstances, no one Harry's age would even humor the thought of suckling out of a bottle, but with how timid the boy has been acting he could possibly pull this off. All the while starting up a conversation with Bellatrix, the elder blonde guides the nipple of the bottle into Harry's mouth. To everyone's astonishment, Harry takes three gulps before the struggling starts. Soft whines and whimpers draw the attention of the entire table which in turn makes Harry want out of the hold even more. Lucius knew that he was 5 seconds from a meltdown right before Narcissa's voice.

"Remember when Draco was this tiny?" No one dared mention that the boys are mere months apart. "He would refuse his bottles all the time."

"Yet you insisted he was too young to go without," Severus adds as Lucius chuckles.

"He was. He wasn't even teething before he decided that bottles were beneath him."

"Mum!" Draco had the good grace to blush as his parents rattle on about his baby days.

"Oh hush Dragon, we're only teasing," Harry observed the small family with jealousy. Never had he experienced this type of affection and before being taken by the dark side rarely had he known a friendly touch.

Attention was quickly brought back to the newest member of their group the moment he let out a heart-breaking sob.

"Whatever is the matter little one," Lucius tries to sooth only to make Harry cry harder.

"Why am I still h-here? Why don't you j-just k-kill me already? I-I-I'll do anything, please. Just get i-it o-over w-ith"

"Harry, no one here is ever going to hurt you. You may not believe this just yet, but you'll never be hurt again." Lucius tries again to guide the bottle into the starving child's mouth but he only turns his head once more.

"You're not holding the baby right." Bella raises and approaches the pair. Before Harry could object to being called a baby Bellatrix maneuvers him in Lucius's arms so that he's slightly more reclined and his head is supported more. Never in a million years did Harry believe he'd find himself not only being held by Lucius Malfoy and drinking out of a bottle but enjoy every minute of it. Bella didn't even make it back to her seat before he gladly excepts the bottle once again. Something about the new position eases all tension out of his tiny, frail body. For the first time in his life, Harry is able to properly relax. Placing his hand lightly over Lucius's Harry allows himself to enjoy the warm creaminess of the milk as it goes down his throat.