This Is My True Mask

Sobbing was the only thing I could hear over a monitor's beeping. Beep. Beep. Beep. It was in the same rhythm as my heart. I could also hear another sort of noise, but it didn't sound like my heart beat, it was beating too fast. And slightly off. I tossed slightly until I felt someone grasping my hand tightly in theirs, sniffling. Who was it? My eyes tiredly flickered open as I looked in their direction. Lucius was holding my hand in his and his head was bowed with his forehead to my hand. . . . Was he crying?

"L-Lucius. . ." I croaked weakly, trying to clear my vision.

". . .B-Bryony? You're awake?"

"Hi. . ."

"I thought I was going to lose you. . ." He leaned over and hugged me tightly. I did nothing but snuggle my head into the crook of his neck and shoulder like I always did when I woke up or before bed. "I really thought I was going to lose you. . ."

"What happened to me?"

He stood up and walked over to the other side of the bed. I watched him and saw the rest of my bed in the corner of my eye. Turned out, it was pretty large. I'm guessing Lucius wouldn't let me have a small room. And I'm also guessing, I was in St. Mungo's. He crawled in the bed slowly and very carefully, watching to make sure he didn't move me. When he was settled, he laid on his side with an arm around me. "You went into cardiac arrest after Bellatrix tortured you."

"Cardiac arrest? I thought my heart problem was doing fine. . ."

"What heart problem?"

"I didn't tell you because I thought I wouldn't go through this again, I mean this isn't my first time. I was six when it first happened and we found out that I had cardiac dysrhythmia. I just hope our child doesn't end up with at as wel— Lucius," I started to shake and tears formed in my eyes, "is our baby okay?"

"Bryony, you have to understand with getting curse and going into cardiac arrest. . ."

"Lucius. . ."

Someone had just opened and entered the room. I glanced over and it was a healer. They approached us before sitting on the seat that Lucius had been sitting on before he got into the bed with me. They let out a sigh as they looked at both monitors. "How are you feeling, Miss Valentine?"

"I don't give a bloody fuck about how I feel! I want to know if my child is still alive!" I bellowed, growing angry with this healer that I hadn't even known and was seeing him for the first time in my life.

"Very well. Miss Valentine, it seems your body was under a lot of stress to cause the cardiac arrest and without air for so long and your heart not beating — your baby is still alive at the moment. But the chances of its survival looks slim."

". . .What? Slim? No. . ."

"I'm very sorry, Miss Valentine. We'll be able to tell more in the next twenty-four hours. I wish the best of luck for your baby." They had got up and walked over to the door to leave.

"Lucius. . ." was the only thing I could say before I broke down into tears, crying into his shirt hard. I was never really one to cry in front of men. But this . .my own child was at risk — the child I was having with Lucius.

I kep crying and crying until I could no more. After a good hour, I had fallen asleep in Lucius' arms. All he kept doing was telling me that he was sorry and it was all of his fault. I know he was there and did nothing, but I always knew that if he tried anything, Voldemort would have just killed us there on the spot. I couldn't blame Lucius.

My eyes flickered open as I saw nothing but the moon. The shining moon shed light all over the room and I felt no one besides me. Lucius was no longer there. The only sound that pervaded the room was the beeping sounds of the machines. So it wasn't a dream and my child might not be alive for much longer. . . . The sound of their heartbeat filled my room as I groped around on the bed, hoping to find the slightest sign of Lucius, but I was quite unsuccessful.

"Lucius?" I called out into the moonlit room, my eyes still adjusting.

"I'm not Lucius, but I am here."

"Father?" I turned in the bed slowly so I was laying on my side. My father's face was shining in what little light the room held.

"How are you feeling?"

"I . . . I don't know."

"So how is it that you could go behind my back and not only sleep with a colleague of mine, but a friend of mine. Someone who is way too old for you? Someone that is old enough to be your father. And not only did you sleep with him, you got pregnant by him!"

The door had opened right after my father spoke and light immediately filled the room. "Bryony, I have good ne— Oh, hello, Vic."

"Yes, hello, Lucius." My father walked over to the door and past him before speaking once more. "Take care of her, because from here on out, she is no longer welcome in my home. I will have my House Elves pack her things and we'll send them over your way."

My father's wife was in view of the door and she was shaking her head. I could hear her telling my father that I was just a fuck up and that he was doing the right thing. I can't believe she said that and what I can't believe more — he agreed. I knew this was coming. I knew this was coming for a while now. Father had always said that if we were to get pregnant at a young age, then we wouldn't be welcome at his house any longer — and it really wasn't an idle threat.

The door shut behind the older Malfoy as he shook his head before smiling. Why was he smiling? I just got kicked out of my home. "I have good news."

"I don't think I can really handle any news right now. Everything's going completely downhill."

"Really? Because I just talked to one of the healers and they informed me that our son will survive and the two of you will be able to return back to the manor in two days, just in time for New Years."

"Son — what do you mean son? Wait. . .we're having a bo—?"

"Yes." He walked closer to me and kissed my forehead tenderly, "you will be gracing us with a son."