To Forgive and to Forget

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter; I leave that to author J.K. Rowling. Sometimes, though, I wish I owned Fred and George.


(Malfoy Manor)

The Malfoy Manor had been swept of all things that were associated with the Dark Arts and Lord Voldemort. Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy didn't care anymore. They just wanted to live their lives the way they wanted without fear.

Even without the fear of the Voldemort, Death Eaters, and the Ministry, Narcissa was pacing back and forth in the parlor room at the Malfoy Manor. She wants to do something, but she's not sure if she should do it or not. She's not sure if she would be forgiven.

Lucius glanced up from the Daily Prophet to watch his wife pace. "What's on your mind?" he asked as he sets aside the newspaper.

"My sister," Narcissa replied.

"Bellatrix?" Lucius asked. "She's dead."

"No," Narcissa said harshly. "Andromeda."

"What about her?" Lucius asked.

"I want to apologize to her," Narcissa replied. "Even though it's thirty years late, I want her to know that I understand now. She left with her grandson to raise while she already buried her husband, daughter, and son-in-law."

"She has the boy-who-lived-twice to help her," Lucius replied as he sat up on the sofa he was sitting on. "From what I've heard, he's been named godfather to the child. You know how close he is to the Weasleys, and from Draco's accounts, I wouldn't be surprised if he marries Weasley's daughter in the future. Do you really want to risk that?"

Narcissa looked at her husband and sighed. "Lucius, what have we learned from the war?" she asked and sat down next to him.

"That love is better than hate," Lucius replied without thinking.

Narcissa nodded. "Despite all this, I realized that I still love her," she told her husband.

Lucius looked at his wife. "Are you asking me if I think she might forgive you?" he asked.

Narcissa didn't answer, but waited for his answer.

Lucius sighed. "I don't know," Lucius replied and then it came to him. "What house was she in at Hogwarts?"

Narcissa blinked at him. "Hufflepuff," she said, "but I don't see-"

Lucius arched his eye at her.

Narcissa eyes widened. "Oh, I see!" she said. "She's from the house of loyalty. She might."

Lucius nodded as he scanned the paper again today. "Huh," he said.

"What?" she asked.

"Looks like they caught Fenrir Greyback," Lucius replied. "That's one less werewolf off the streets. I am sure that can be traded with your sister's grandson."

Narcissa shook her head. "From what I've heard, he hasn't shown any signs of lycanthropy tendencies," she replied, "only of metamorphmagus tendencies."

"Huh," Lucius replied. "Perhaps like Weasley's oldest, he'll have a taste for rare meat or something along those lines."

"Only rumors, Lucius," Narcissa replied. "We only hear rumors even if they are fact; we have no idea if they're fact or not. That's what we've been reduced to."

Lucius looked over his newspaper to look at his wife. "I can live with that as long as I know that you and Draco are safe, happy, and whole," he said and looked at the newspaper again. "But if it makes you happy, I think you should talk to you sister. Because if it doesn't work out the way you want, Cissa, you know you still have me and Draco."

Narcissa smiled slowly at that. "Okay," she said as she stood and walk to the front door. "I'll be back before dinner." She opened the closest to grab a coat and then peered into the parlor. "Don't hurt the House Elf; it wouldn't look good for us if we start hurting creatures smaller than us after Harry Potter had defended our cause." She walked out the door and disapparated.


When Narcissa apparated, she was in the front yard of her sister's home and smiled. She saw that Andromeda had kept her yard spotless as well as had time to keep up with her gardening.

Narcissa had read in the Daily Prophet earlier that day that all the fidelius charms on the members of the Order of the Phoenix's homes and other safe houses had been lifted due to the fact that witches and wizards alike weren't in any immediate danger.

Narcissa took a breath and walked to the front door. "I can do this," she said to herself and knocked on the door.

Andromeda Tonks walked out of a hallway holding little Teddy Lupin. "Harry, I told you to come right in without even knocking," Andromeda replied and then she walked to the door to open it. She blinked at Narcissa and then stiffened. "What are you doing here, Narcissa?"

"To apologize for all the wrongs that have been done to you, Andy," Narcissa replied.

Andromeda arched her eye at her sister. "The Malfoy name doesn't have much respect, now does it?" she asked.

"No, it doesn't," Narcissa replied, "but we're learning to live with it. It's an easier transition than I thought especially after the year we had been treated."

"You've been treated?" Andromeda asked in disbelief. "What about me? Do you know what I've been through all these years while you lived your life as a proud member of the Black-Malfoy family? First, my family shunned on me because I fell in love with a muggle-born, married him, and borne him a child. Then let's fast forward a few years, the only family I had left was our cousin, Sirius, who was falsely accused for a crime he didn't commit and was thrown into Azkaban without a trail. Then let's fast forward to several years, I lost my Ted, my daughter, Nymphadora, and my son-in-law, Remus, all within months of each. I lost Dora and Remus on the same day. You don't think that's not hard for me? Now I have little Teddy to raise, and he won't know who his parents are. Why Molly Weasley has been more of a sister than you ever have."

Teddy turned fussy at his grandmother harsh tone just as Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny apparated in front of the house.

"Andromeda?" Harry said questioningly.

Andromeda blinked at Harry and the others. "You four can come in," she told them.

They walked passed Andromeda and Narcissa. Andromeda passed Teddy to Harry. "Can you feed him his bottle?" she asked him. "It's on the counter in the kitchen."

"Sure," Harry said and took Teddy from her arms, walked into the kitchen to retrieve the bottle, and headed into the living room.

Andromeda stepped outside and closed the door behind her. "Narcissa, come walk with me," she said to her sister.

"What about your guests?" Narcissa asked.

Andromeda smiled. "Ginny's on the other side of the door listening," she said. "I think it is better we talk in private in any case, Cissy."

Narcissa smiled at her nickname. "Okay," she said.

They started walking around the yard. Narcissa smiled at the variety of colors in her sister's flower bed.

"Cissy," Andromeda replied simply. "Do you know how hard it is to know that Bella killed Nymphadora?"

"I had no idea," Narcissa replied. "I have no idea who killed whom in the final battle. I have no idea who killed your Ted. I have no who killed your daughter's Remus." Tears started to threaten welling up in her eyes in understanding of her sister's pain. "I can only imagine your pain. I can imagine if it were my Lucius. I can only imagine if it were my Draco."

"Cissy," Andromeda said as saw that Narcissa would weep for her and for her pain. "I don't want your pity or anyone else's pity. Nymphadora, Remus, and Ted knew going in, just as I knew that I may lose them. I hate myself for not going."

"No," Narcissa replied sternly. "You did a great service for your daughter and son-in-law watching your grandson."

"That's what Molly said," Andromeda replied smiling. "It's starting to sink in."

Narcissa looked over at the flowers not wanting to meet her sister's eyes. "Two weeks before the Order of the Phoenix moved Harry Potter, the Dark Lord had told us, Lucius, Draco, me, and Bella, that your daughter and Remus Lupin had gotten married. It hadn't registered to me that Remus was a werewolf until the Dark Lord said so. Then I heard Bella say that you were no sister of ours-no family of ours. I closed my eyes thinking-praying, really-that everything would turn out for the best," Narcissa replied. "I pleaded with Lucius and Narcissa quietly to thwart whatever plans the Dark Lord had, so we won't get caught."

Andromeda arched her eye at her sister. "At the Manor," she said quietly.

"Yes," Narcissa said remembering that Harry, Ron, and Hermione had gone to the manor. "My son hesitated in identifying them for that reason; even though it didn't work as well as we hoped. My husband knew that someone would eventually come to help them," Narcissa smiled, "even if it was our former house elf. Lucius knows a lot about house elves and their sort of magic. You know it's different from ours."

"Yes, I know," Andromeda said thinking of Kreacher.

"That's why Lucius sent Peter in there instead of Draco," Narcissa replied. "We knew that they were going to escape. Draco knew that they would." She smiled thinking of her son. "Then they had escaped, and then someone had killed Dobby." Narcissa looked at her sister. "I heard that Harry Potter dug a grave for Dobby."

Andromeda nodded. "He did," she said, "without using magic."

Narcissa nodded. "I think you know the rest," she said.

"Not quite," Andromeda replied. "Your son had your wand when he went on a showdown with Harry at Hogwarts in the Room of Requirement."

Narcissa nodded. "He stole it in actuality," Narcissa replied. "He wavered back and forth whether he should side with Harry Potter or the Dark Lord. I told him not to go, but he went anyway." She sighed.

"You know what you and your husband did, Cissy," Andromeda replied, "was very brave. Why haven't you two gone to the press with this? I've never known Slytherins to take this lying down."

Narcissa wiped her tears away from her face. "We rather take it this way, Andy," she told her sister. "We're down at the bottom level of trust; we want to work our way up to the top ourselves. I think that's ambitious enough for Slytherins."

"That's going to be hard work," Andromeda replied.

Narcissa looked up at her sister. "Yes, I know," she said, "but Lucius, Draco, and I are ready to handle that. You won't tell anyone, will you, Andy?"

Andromeda smiled at her sister. "Cissy, you're talking to a Hufflepuff," she said. "We're very loyal."

Narcissa smiled teary at her sister, stood up, and hugged her sister.

"I think this is a start to a beautiful sisterhood," Andromeda replied. "Would you come in for some tea and meet your great nephew?"


(Inside the house)

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny stood staring out the window at the two sisters. "What is Narcissa Malfoy doing here?" Ron asked.

Harry and Ginny exchanged a look. "Apologizing to her sister," Ginny answered.

"How would you know?" Ron asked.

"They are crying, aren't they?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, so, what does that have to do with anything?" Ron asked.

"Everything," Hermione and Ginny said together.

"Besides, I think it's sweet," Ginny replied.

"If they want to be sisters again in a real sense of the word, they have a long road ahead of them," Harry said and sighed as he gently bounced Teddy in his arms.

Ginny looked at Harry. "I would think that given the chance your aunt Petunia probably would've apologized to your mum, Harry," she said, "but this sparks hope for both of them."

They saw that Narcissa and Andromeda coming back around the house, and they were talking.

"You think Andromeda invited her in for tea?" Ron asked.

"I would bet on it," Hermione told him.

"I would, too," Ginny said thinking about Andromeda.

"It's nice," Hermione told Ron. "Or haven't you heard about that gesture in 12 Failsafe Ways to Charm a Witch?"