Anxious Love

Chapter 16

"We-We need to find help," Harry brokenly whispered out. For the first time in his life, Harry Potter was truly scared. After years of abuse by his aunt and uncle, after years of running from a madman, who, turned out to be alright after all, Harry was truly terrified in this moment. Never had he felt this way before.

"What does Hirsch mean? It has to mean something important. Maybe it's another language," Harry was muttering to himself, deep in thought. He unconsciously took hold of Draco's hand as he thought about the one word that Draco managed to get out.

Narcissa closed her eyes. She went into the recesses of her mind to try and find some clue, some answer to her son's illness. She had heard that word before, Hirsch, but she couldn't figure out from where. She thought back to when Draco was younger, when he was finally able to walk, talk, and read. Then she remembered. She remembered the day that her little Draco said his first word.
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Narcissa was sat in a rocking chair in her son's room. She was in front of a fire that was crackling in the fireplace. Draco was just going on twelve months old. He was sat in his mother's lap, a book was held in her hands. When she was pregnant she took up reading aloud, wanting Draco to know her voice. Every time she read, the baby would move in her belly, seeming to try to get closer to her voice. After Draco was born she kept it up.

She is currently reading a simple, muggle, alphabet book. It has lots of pictures that her little Draco seems to like very much. It was when she got to the letter "D" that their whole world changed.

"D is for deer," Narcissa softly reads aloud. She moves to turn the page, but Draco becomes fussy. She keeps it opened to the deer, thinking that her son just really likes the picture. He was entranced with it. Narcissa notices Draco's little hand rising to the picture. He points his chubby, little, finger at the deer and looks in Narcissa's eyes.

"Hirsch," his baby voice garbles the word, but it is still audible. Narcissa's eyes widen in shock. Her little Draco said his first word! A smile breaks on her face, her excitement not allowing her to process that the word was said in a completely different language.

She laughed in glee. "Lucius, honey, come in here!" Narcissa yells for her husband. Lucius rushes in, thinking something bad has happened to his wife and child.

"What is it my love?" He questions, eyes roaming her and Draco's body for any injuries.

"He said his first word. Lucius it was the cutest thing, I think he tried to say horse or something," she squeals in delight. "C'mom Draco, say it again for daddy."

Lucius waits intently for his son to say his first word again. When he was just about to retreat back to his study in defeat he hears it.

"Hirsch."

Lucius' eyes darken. He looks to Narcissa who's beaming smile fades.

"Where did he learn that word? Was it you? Did you teach him it? How do you even know what it means? Have you been snooping in my office again?" Lucius barks out the questions. He was seething in anger.

"N-No I-I would never Lucius," she was frightened. Her husband has never acted this way towards her before.

"What's the m-matter my love?" She flinches as Lucius smacks away the hand she had brought up to lovingly caress his face.