They had fought. They had had a huge fight. One that was almost irreparable. One that would've most certainly ended their friendship had the two women not loved each other so much.
Narcissa was about to turn in for the night when there was a loud banging on the front door of the manor.
Lady Malfoy had just finished her nightly cup of tea, trying to calm herself after the fight she had had with Edaline that ended in hurtful words and heartbreak.
What was she supposed to say? Edaline begged her to leave Lucius. To come live with her and spend the rest of their days together happy and free. They had a bond deeper and more complicated than that of two best friends. They had slept together. And Narcissa was just as in love with Edaline as Edaline was with her. Narcissa wanted to go with Edaline. Oh how she wanted to give into the young witch and lose herself. Wanted to live out the rest of her days with the beautiful spitfire woman in her cottage in Galway... but she couldn't. She had responsibilities and a duty to fulfil to her family. Divorce was almost unheard of in pureblood society and she would be outcasted. But thats not why she refused. She was terrified of someone loving her. Truly loving her. Losing the love of her life because they got bored of her or decided they deserved more was too much for Narcissa. Better to feign ignorance and indifference.
As Narcissa was ascending the stairs to her bedroom, a loud banging sounded at the door.
"What in Merlins name?" She thought to herself.
Her dominant hand gripped her wand tightly as she descended back down the steps and made her way to the door.
"Please help!" A voice shouted.
Narcissa frowned.
"Please! Aunt Narcissa! I know you're in there! Please help me!"
Narcissa swallowed the bile rising in her throat, took a deep breath, and slowly opened the door, pointing her wand at the person on her doorstep. She gasped at the sight in front of her. There stood her niece, Nymphadora, carrying something in her arms.
"What are you doing here?!" Narcissa hissed in a panicked voice.
Nymphadora looked at her aunt with tears brimming in her eyes.
"I'm sorry to disturb you like this. She... Eda just showed up at my doorstep like this and passed out before I could get her inside! Please help me! I don't know what to do!" Nymphadora Tonks was begging. Begging! She didn't beg.
Narcissa's gaze finally traveled to the thing her niece was carrying, it was Edaline's unconscious, bloody body. She let out a gasp and choked sob, her hand flying to her mouth.
"Edaline?! Oh Salazar!" Narcissa rushed to her side and took her best friends body from her niece, cradling the young woman to her chest.
"Can we floo to her home from here? I just moved and don't have it set up and I'm not strong enough to apparate us all tonight." Tonks asked frantically.
"Of course. This way." Narcissa carried the unconscious witch to the fireplace, Dora right behind her. They flooed to Edaline's home on the coast of Galway, where the two witches placed her on the couch.
"I'm going to get my mum. Can you stay with her?" Tonks asked.
Narcissa nodded, crouching next to her best friend as tears streamed down her face.
Dora left right away and Narcissa got to work straight away. She quickly grabbed a washcloth and dampened it with warm water, cleaning the cuts on her Edaline's bloodied face.
"Oh little dove... what did you do? What did you do?" She choked out in a whisper, seeing the bruises that had formed underneath the blood.
"You're going to be the death of me my darling."
Narcissa had just gotten some bruising cream when the sound of her sister and niece startled her from her thoughts.
"Whats all this about Dora?! I was a- oh dear merlin!"
Andromeda rushed over to Narcissa and Edaline, dropping to her knees beside the couch, immediately drawing her wand and beginning the diagnostic spells.
"Cissy whats happened to her?!"
Narcissa looked at Andy as tears streamed down her face. Her lip quivered as she tried to keep from crying.
"I don't know..." she whimpered, stroking Edaline's hair in a loving manner.
Andy nodded and Dora took a seat opposite her friend, trying not to panic. They were silent for a long time before the diagnostic spell was finished and Andy broke the silence.
"Dora be a dear and grab the anti-venom from the cabinet. Hurry!" Andy said quickly.
Dora ran to the bathroom cabinet to grab her friends supply of anti venom.
"Andy? What do you need the antivenim for?" Narcissa asked anxiously.
"It appears she was poisoned... the diagnostic test says she was attacked by hexes and poisoned. We need to get this in her now before its too late!"
Narcissa let out a choked sob and broke down, holding onto Edaline gently.
"No no no! You're staying right here little dove! Our story isn't finished!" She wailed.
Dora returned at a sprint with the antidote. Andy took it from her as soon as she was in arms length and stuck Edaline with the needle, halting the poison right away.
"That solves one of our problems." Andy said, sighing in relief. "But she has two bruised ribs, a fractured wrist, a dislocated shoulder and a broken nose. Theres a deep gash on her stomach from the venom. Someone will need to take care of her." Andy said worriedly.
"I will." Narcissa said seriously.
Andy nodded.
"Cissa you are a talented witch. Your skills with potions is unmatched by anyone, including severus, but you need to start with the bone healing potion. Its going to be extremely painful for her and I know its hard to watch but you must make sure she takes it. No physical activity for three weeks at least. The bruised ribs will take the longest to heal. You will also need to clean the stitches from her gash twice a day. Once in the morning and once at night. And above all... be there for her no matter what. Edaline isn't stupid. She wouldn't just run into an attack like this. There has to be a bigger reason." Andy said.
Narcissa nodded her understanding.
"Can you grab me a pair of her loungewear clothing? Something she will be comfortable in while she heals?" Andy asked.
Narcissa nodded again, got up, and ran into Edaline's room. She grabbed her Disney sweats and a tank top along with her favorite sweatshirt. Narcissa's old slytherin jumper that was too big on them both.
The three women got Edaline undressed and into fresh undergarments and clothes. It was around one in the morning when they finally finished everything.
Andy, Cissa and Dora had just gotten Edaline into her bed when Cissa escorted the two women into the family room by the fireplace.
"Alright little sister. Dora and I will return tomorrow with all the medication for Em. Stay safe ok? And take good care of her." Andromeda said, hugging her sister tight.
"I will. I swear it." Cissa said.
"Goodnight sister, Dora, Thank you for everything."
The mother and daughter nodded and flooed home without another word.
The cottage was silent, only the sound of ocean waves could be heard. Narcissa stood for a moment,lost in thought over the girl she loved nearly dying. Tears formed in her eyes as she thought about how close she had come to losing her love. What if they had been too late? How would she have coped?
Narcissa blocked those thoughts from her head and returned back to Edaline's bedroom, laying next to her on the bed, stroking her arm in a loving way.
"Darling... please wake up. I need you." She whispered as her voice cracked.
A coughing fit ran through the woman's body, startling Narcissa, helping her sit up so she wouldn't choke.
"Its alright. Breathe darling. Breathe." She cooed as the coughing subsided.
"Na-Narcissa? Whatryadoinhere?" She gasped through coughs.
"Shhh." She cooed, rubbing the womans back, giving her a glass of water which Edaline accepted eagerly.
The glass was empty a moment later and Edaline could sort of speak.
"'M sorry Cissa. 'M sorry for what I said... I know you can't just leave Lucius." Edaline said softly, her voice cracking a bit as she spoke.
Narcissa shook her head and gently pulled the younger woman into her arms.
"No little dove. I'm the one who should be sorry. I want to run away with you. More than anything in the world. I want to give into you. I want to spend my days basking in your warm presence and almost losing you has made me come to my senses."
"Cissa I-"
"You have no idea just how much I love you little dove." Narcissa whispered, stroking her cheek gently, connecting their lips in a soft kiss.
Edaline reached up weakly, cupping Narcissa's face as she deepened the kiss.
They finally broke apart when air became a necessity.
"I love you too petal. I love you so much." Edaline choked through happy tears.
"I'm leaving him. I want you Edaline. I choose you. I choose us." She said, cradling her lovers head to her chest.
"Really?"
"Yes. I love you darling."
"Oh Cissy... I'm so in love with you." Edaline said, nuzzling into her chest.
"Your boobs are rather comfy."
Cissy barked out a laugh.
"Normally the positions are switched. Yours are like a pillow darling."
"Yes well mine are bruised at the moment. So you'll have to wait."
Cissy stopped laughing and looked at her.
"What happened to you honey?"
Edaline took a deep shaky breath and grasped Narcissa's hand in her own.
"After our fight... I left the manor in a hurry, and I saw a wizard watching you. He was about to enter with his wand raised at you so I... I did what any logical gryffindor would. I tackled him to the ground and he hexed me instead. He stabbed me with a poisonous blade on my stomach but I was able to cast a body binding curse on him and summon the aurors before apparating to Dora's."
Narcissa was staring at her. Eyes wide with shock and fear and anger all in one.
"But why? Why would you do something like that?" She asked knowing the answer.
"Because I love you Cissa. I would never let anyone or anything harm you."
"Please never scare me like that again. I love you so much little dove."
Edaline nodded against her chest and kissed her cheek.
Sleep wasn't in the forecast for Edaline and by proxy, Narcissa.
The detox and anti-venom caused Edaline to wake up and vomit every hour on the dot. Narcissa watched the first time as the woman ran crying out in pain to the bathroom before emptying the contents of her stomach into the toilet.
Narcissa, ever the loving woman, rushed after her and held her hair, whispering sweet nothings and rubbing the girls back as she retched. Eventually after two rushes to the loo, Narcissa transfigured the bathtub into a bed for them and had them sleep in there so Edaline wouldn't have to run every hour. Narcissa held her hair back and soothed her with no complaints. Only worry and love in her heart.
"S-so sorry C-Cissa..." Em mumbled.
Narcissa gave her mouth wash which she accepted.
"Don't apologize my love. Your body is detoxing. I'm here to care for you. I love you. Let me do this. Please." She said gently, pressing a soft kiss to the womans hair.
Edaline nodded and leaned back against the older witch who wrapped her in a gentle hug and pressed butterfly kisses all over her head.
"I love you bumblebee." She whispered.
"I love you too petal." Em replied, allowing herself to fall back asleep.
After 5 straight hours on the dot of vomiting, Eda finally fell asleep through the night.
Narcissa was so relieved that she could have cried. She wasn't relieved because she minded the vomit. She was relieved that her love was had finally had stopped throwing up and was able to sleep. And by default, Narcissa could cuddle the ever loving fuck out of her. After seeing Eda on deaths doorstep, Narcissa wanted to let the witch go again.
"My baby." She whispered, finally drifting off to sleep with Eda wrapped in her arms.
--
When Narcissa woke the next morning, Eda was still dead to the world. Her little snores made Narcissa melt and she grinned at her little lion. She wouldn't wake Eda up from her much needed rest. Instead, she curled her head into Eda's neck and tried to drift off to sleep.
"Mmm Cissa?"
Narcissa sighed and pressed a kiss into Eda's neck.
"Morning my love." She murmured.
"'M sorry I kept you up all night." Eda whispered.
"Hush. None of that. I'm taking care of you. I want to do this. And you don't ever need to apologize for being sick. I'm relieved that we could get that poison out of your body. And I thank Merlin that you're here with me. You're so incredibly brave and selfless. You tackled a wizard that intended to attack me. That I wasn't too late to call you mine. I love you so much!"
"I love you too Cissa. I will always protect you." Eda whispered.
"And I'll always protect you. My baby."