Chapter 10
Two full days of searching failed to succeed and the Malfoy family was beginning to lose hope. Best case scenario, the boys would find her when school started again. With Ada being so sick, though, they couldn’t help but individually wonder about the worst case scenario being possible. Fred and George had joined their search too and promised to send word if they found her, so for now, the Malfoy’s waited anxiously for word. They had scoured every inch of Hogsmead, Diagon Alley, and even inquired at the school. Not even Potter could find her and he had an uncanny knack for being able to find anyone at Hogwarts.
“What will we do if she does come back?” Draco asked idly as he lay on the floor by the fire.
His words were slightly muffled as he was laying face down with his face in the carpet. When his parents didn’t answer right away he rolled over on his side to look at them. They, for their part, were looking at each other, having a silent conversation.
“Well, she is in dire need of lots and lots of love and care. And maybe a form of therapy as well.” Narcissa started.
“Your mother and I had talked about this a little before she ran away but we’re thinking about employing some rather… traditional forms of therapy.” Lucius finished. “In the past, wizards found that in cases of childhood abuse, neglect, and trauma, infantilism could encourage age regression which in turn could help the individual cope with and work through their past. We want to try something similar and give her the sort of childhood she deserved but wasn’t given.”
“Okay, that makes sense. What would that entail though? And how young would dhe regress to?” Draco asked.
“That all kind of depends on her and what she needs. We’ll start off slow, put her in your childhood bedroom, Draco, and maybe implement a few new rules like she can’t feed herself. Maybe a bottle as well?” Narcissa said.
Blaise had been quietly and thoughtfully listening but now spoke up.
“She's really small and underweight for her age. Maybe a nutrient potion in the bottle?”
“Good idea, Blaise.” Lucius nodded at the boy.
“The most important thing is just to be as kind, patient, and loving as possible with her. She’s probably going to be in an emotionally fragile state when we get her. And it will be a family effort, we want you boys to be just as involved as we are.” Narcissa said solemnly.
Honestly, it may even be best to have the two of you ease her into things, if you want and are comfortable with it. Obviously though, if you don’t want to you are in no way, shape, or form obliged to.” Lucius added.
“I want to.” Blaise looked at both Malfoy parents. “Just let me know how I can help.”
“Me too!” Draco chimed in
Narcissa smiled at both boys and got up to hug them close. She loved both her sons so much and in her heart, she clung to the hope that she’d have a daughter soon too.
For the next three days Ada slept fitfully. She knew she was still sick but she couldn't ask anyone for help, nor did she want to. On the third day she managed to drag herself out of bed to go find something to drink and soothe her now sore throat. She pulled her hair back so she wouldn't have to actually do it and she pulled on a clean pair of jeans with a thick jumper. The whole while being ginger with her hands. Even just the brush of fabric across the bandages hurt like hell. As she studied herself in the mirror she recognized that she looked like a phantom but couldn't do much about it.
She stepped out of her room and locked the door behind her before shakily setting off through the hallway and down the stairs. She knew the dining hall would still be serving breakfast despite the fact that it was nearly noon so she'd find some sort of juice she could grab there. She could hear the sounds of people's voices before she even turned the corner and was almost overwhelmed by the noise level when she was inside the room. She was surrounded by all sorts of families and children merrily eating breakfast and relaxing during their first few days of winter vacation. She managed to thread her way through the mass of people and grabbed a plastic cup from a stack next to the drink area. She poured herself a cup of apple juice and tried to find someplace out of the way to sit. She had just started towards a table in the back corner when she tripped over someone's bag and started to fall towards the ground. Before she even realised what was happening someone grabbed her and pulled her upright. She frowned as she processed that her juice somehow hadn't spilled. When she looked up to see who had caught her she was startled to see the grinning faces of Fred and George Weasley.
"Oh! Hello." Ada managed to say.
"Surprised to see us?" George asked.
Ada just nodded and stared at them for a moment longer.
"I'm sorry, I have to go. Thank you for catching me though." She turned around and quickly fled into the mass of people, glad now for the protection they offered. Just as she got to the staircase though, Fred and George caught up with her and each grabbed an arm, George quickly taking the cup of juice away from her. They walked with her up the stairs alternating their questions.
"Why'd you run off like that?"
"And what's wrong? You look like death itself spat you out."
"Why aren't you at the Malfoy's right now?"
"What are you doing here?"
Ada just looked between the two in bewilderment. Once they got to her floor though she managed to wrench herself away.
"Guys I'm fine! Nothing wrong so just leave me be." She said frustratedly.
She tried to stalk off but was hit by an intense wave of dizziness that caused her to sink to the floor just a few steps from her door. The twins hurried over and seemed to know what was wrong without even asking. George helped her drink some of the juice and got the key to her room out of her coat pocket. When Fred unlocked her door he scooped Ada up and carried her inside, setting her down on her bed. The dizziness gradually passed as she drank more fluids but she almost wished it hadn't. Now she was sitting in front of the twins and knew she had to at least give them a partial explanation or they'd never leave her be.
“First off, I’m fine. Honestly. I’m just a little under the weather right now. Secondly, I am not staying with the Malfoy’s. I don’t want to place that kind of burden or responsibility on anyone. I’m here for the winter holidays and then I’ll be back at Hogwarts so it's not that big of a deal." Ada pushed on, looking down at her hands as she spoke to avoid eye contact with either of the twins. "I ran off because you were a bit of a surprise and I knew you'd probably ask questions that I don't want to answer. I'm okay though so you don't need to worry or anything."
Fred and George exchanged a glance before moving to sit on either side of her. When Terri and Michael did that it made her feel threatened but for some reason Fred and George never made her feel like that. The pair had been two years ahead of her but she'd had a lot of her upper level classes with them and genuinely liked them.
"Look at yourself in the mirror, you aren't okay." Fred started.
"Your face is as white as the snow outside and you have such dark circles under your eyes that you look like you got in a fight and lost."
"You're still shaking-"
"And I can feel you radiating heat from here."
"Okay, I get it. I look horrible." Ada said, slightly irritated and George raised an eyebrow at her tone. "Sorry," she mumbled.
"We've kept in touch with Blaise and Malfoy, especially after they publicly came out and told the world what they'd been living under when they were forced to join Old Voldie." Fred said. "We know for a fact that right now they are going crazy with worry and anxiety, trying to find you. They actually sent us to look for you while they looked around Diagon Alley and Hogsmead. You're not a burden to them no matter what you think, and we know that that is what you think. Please just let us take you back home."
"It's not home." Ada whispered brokenly.
She refused to believe that the Malfoy's actually wanted to have her. She'd heard Blaise and Draco talking about her in the hallway and she knew she was more trouble than she was worth. Ada couldn’t let herself become attached. She looked down at her hands and folded them tightly in her lap so she wouldn't have to watch them tremble.
"I know you mean well but please just leave me alone guys. I'll be okay on my own, I always have been."
They exchanged another glance over her head before standing up. She looked up as they stood and George smiled apologetically at her before stepping forward and quickly yanking her wand from inside her coat. Fred said something too quietly for her to catch but just as she was about to jump up she felt every part of her relax bonelessly. George was already waiting for her to collapse and quickly caught her before laying her back on the bed and removing her shoes and coat. He pulled something out of his pocket and enlarged it so that she recognized it as a weighted blanket. He quickly laid it out and wrapped her in it. She was starting to panic at the feeling of utter helplessness. She couldn't move at all, it was as if she was a newborn babe completely at the mercy of the twins. It reminded her of when she had been similarly swaddled by Michiael and Terri.
Fred had taken advantage of the small fireplace in her room to floo someone. He disappeared in a flash of green and Ada whimpered slightly at the implications for her. George sat down on the bed and almost effortlessly pulled her so that her head was lying against his chest and he supported her with an arm around her middle.
"Ada, I'm sorry. We didn't really want to have to do things this way but we also know how stubborn you can be. This was the quickest and easiest way for us to get you home. I know you don't necessarily like them or trust them but they're good people and they already love you dearly. It'll be okay."
Ada couldn't have said anything if she wanted to. She was struggling not to cry. She didn't even really know why she wanted to cry but the tears still fell down her cheeks. No more than five minutes later the fireplace flared green again and out stepped first Fred and then Mr. Malfoy. Ada was almost hyperventilating at this point so she didn't notice as Mr. Malfoy lifted her from George's arms and held her close to his chest. Fred and George gave a report of sorts to Mr. Malfoy before turning to pack what little Ada had unpacked back into her trunk. Mr. Malfoy nodded his thanks as they handed him the shrunken object and he stepped back into the floo, arriving back in Malfoy Manor.
"Shhh, piccolina. It's all right." Mr. Malfoy sat down on one of the parlour couches and cradled Ada close to his chest. She gradually started to breathe again but tears still streaked down her cheeks. He stroked her back gently and tried to think of anything that would soothe her. He eventually just started talking, not saying much but just letting her have time to calm down.
"I know it's hard, piccolina, to be here with us. It's so overwhelming and you've had a rough go of it so far. Frederick said you felt like a burden to us. You don't ever need to feel like a burden to anyone. You have the right to express your needs and have them met. You don't ever need to apologise for the space you take up as a human being. Don't ever forget that. We have so much to make up to you. You spent your entire childhood unloved and unwanted. You had to do everything yourself. You don't need to do that anymore, and honestly, I don't think it's even healthy for you to do everything by yourself anymore. You've got to let us help you, piccolina."
Lucius kept talking, basically repeating variations of this until Ada slipped into an exhausted sleep. Draco, Blaise, and Narcissa walked in a little while later but when they saw she was asleep they disappeared upstairs. Lucius knew they were getting everything ready for the next steps with her and wanted to let Ada sleep for as long as possible. She was going to hate what was coming next but it was for her own good.