Suffering: Part 5

Secret Keeper Part 2

"Ahh, there they are," Severus grinned as he turned to the door. Lucius was opening it for the girls to toddle through. "Good morning, little bird," Lucius smiled softly at her. "Good morning, LuLu. I heard you were on breakfast duty. Did you cook for them?" she grinned at the man.

"Of course. We both cook for them," Lucius smiled. "I have never seen you touch an object in the kitchen except for a mug. I cannot wait to see this," she smiled at him before her attention was turned away to the blabbering girls.

"Good morning, ladies. Sleep well?" she smiled at them. "Mama, LuLu mean," Charlotte scowled at Lucius as she started attempting to climb up the bed. "Do tell," Y/N smiled ear to ear at the sassy girl. "I wouldn't let her wear wellies with her dress. She wants to wear them with everything," Lucuis rolled his eyes.

"Grandmother," Y/N grinned. "Indeed. She wants to wear her farm wellies inside a hospital, and I won't let her," he groaned. "Penny got here early and these two had it out," Severus remarked blankly.

"You fought with your grandmother?" Lucius scowled at her. "A disagreement between two strong willed women. That's it. Nothing more," she smiled. "Do you help feed the sheep? Grandmother tried to take you to the farm this morning," Y/N asked Charlotte who was crawling up her lap. "Eep eep eep," the little girl blabbered.

"What's wrong with Stevie? Her cheeks are very pink," Y/N asked curiously as Severus held the little girl in his lap.

"She's teething. We gave her some medicine when she woke up," Severus replied softly. "Here, she needs Mama," Y/N held out her hands. "They are about to bring your breakfast," Severus reminded her.

"Very well. After breakfast. They aren't leaving this hospital until I hold them both this morning," she told the men blankly as she wrapped her arms around Charlotte. "Feeling more like yourself, I see," Lucius gave her an irritated blink.

"Authoritative? Domineering? Autocratic perhaps? Just standing up for myself. I have lost enough time with them. I won't let people take them from me to punish me," she replied sweetly. "Is that what Penny attempted to do? For not giving her more information?" Lucius asked carefully as he sat in a chair next to Severus at the side of the bed.

"She tried to say she was going to pick the girls up and take them to the farm this morning, to feed sheep. Manipulation tactic to get me to answer her questions. I have no more answers right now," Y/N remarked.

"Look under her blanket at her legs," Severus told Lucius softly. The man looked puzzled but looked under the blanket. "Did you fall out of bed?" he asked with confusion.

"I fell when I projected myself to Hogwarts. In the dungeon corridor," she replied. "How is that possible?" Lucius looked between the two. "I need to talk to Potter. If it were Tom Riddle I was seeing, then we need Harry. Tom communicated with Harry before, in the beginning," Y/N announced.

"Tom's diary was destroyed by the basilisk tooth. What is he using to contact you now?" Severus asked curiously. "It's not obvious? Our shared blood, I assume," she replied.

"If that is the case, how would we destroy the connection?" Severus questioned with a look of deep concern on his face. "This is exactly why we need Harry," she announced.

"Knock, knock, breakfast," Evan smiled as she walked in with a tray. Lucius got up and tried to take Charlotte away from her mama so she could eat. The sassy little girl swatted at his hand. Y/N's face filled with surprise and delight at Lucius Malfoy being bossed around by a toddler.