A/N: Hi! Thank you for checking out my story. Little bit of history: I am not necessarily new to writing fan fiction, however, it has been almost three years since I have written anything and this is my first HP story. Before I used to write for 24, on here and livejournal. This chapter was difficult to write because I am a little rusty. So I apologize if it sounds a little mechanical - hopefully, I'll be back in the swing of it soon.

This story differs slightly from canon. It is mainly a Lucius/Narcissa story, however, other couples will be featured. Like the intro states, most major characters are still living, including Fred Weasley, Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Sirius Black, and Albus Dumbledore. If you are curious as to HOW these people survived stayed tuned. This is a three part series with thirteen chapters.

Thank you and enjoy!

PART I, CHAPTER I - Sounds of Silence

May 2, 1998

Be strong. Don't let them go. It will be OK. Be strong. Don't let them go. It will be OK. Be strong.

Lucius Malfoy internally repeated this mantra like an affirmation to keep himself grounded. Instinctively, he tightened his hold on his wife and son. The three of them were huddled by a table in the Great Hall in the aftermath of the Second Wizarding War. Lucius opened his eyes and briefly took in the devastation that surrounded him. While it had been less than an hour since Voldemort's destruction, it seemed as if years had passed. He glanced down at his left arm, currently holding his son, Draco, closely to him, and even though he could not see it, he could still feel the slight burning on his forearm from where the Dark Mark had resided most of his life.

Lucius closed his eyes and thought back to less than an hour before. He and Narcissa had just reunited with Draco and were preparing to flee, when both he and his son were overcome with a feeling of pain, fear, and, oddly enough, relief. It was over before he knew it had started and while he had only experienced this sensation once before in his life, he was fully aware of its implications. The Dark Lord had been defeated.

Never in his life had Lucius truly realized how powerful the sound of silence was. It had descended upon the Great Hall at first like a plague, heavy with tension while witches and wizards look at each other with quiet desperation looking for answers. What did this mean? Was it over? Was it finally safe to stop fighting? Then, like a heavenly light, the great saviour of the Wizarding world entered the Hall and confirmed what Lucius already knew to be true.

He wasn't sure what he had expected, but he supposed when he really thought about it he expected a celebration. He expected shouts of victory, cries of joy, and worst of all, he expected to be arrested, his wife and son banished, and altogether to be shamed from society. Instead, people wordlessly lowered their wands and quietly began to pick up the pieces of their shattered world. Dead bodies were collected and respectfully covered; small families gathered round to say their final goodbyes. Healers were bustling between patients and administering potions under the direction of Madam Pomfrey.

In spite of it all, he was relieved. Relieved and grateful that the three of them had managed to survive the entire ordeal. Narcissa's last minute betrayal of the Dark Lord surely would have gotten them killed had Harry Potter failed in his task. It was risky but he was proud. Proud that she was able to do what Lucius had never been able to; defy Lord Voldemort. He placed a gentle kiss on her head and gave a silent prayer of thanks for her well being.

Lucius shifted slightly to place a kiss on Draco's head. He loved his son more than life and making sure Draco was alive and unharmed was worth every betrayal. It was during the immediate moments of silence, when Lucius, whose family clung to him, realized that it really was all about that: family. There wasn't a bloody thing that Lucius wouldn't do- or hadn't done in recent months- to protect Narcissa and Draco. He knew that there would be no place for him in the new wizarding society that would undoubtedly take over and yet, strangely enough, it didn't concern him. So long as he had them both, he - or rather they -would all be okay.

Glancing up across the hall, Lucius spotted Arthur Weasley in a similar position as him; sitting on a bench, with his arms around his wife and daughter. Arthur looked up and caught his eye. He gave Lucius a small head nod with a tight smile which Lucius returned. This shared moment of understanding moved Lucius. Admittedly, when he thought about it, he and Arthur weren't entirely different. While they may have disagreed on politics, both of them were family men. Arthur is just better at proving it, thought Lucius while vowing to do better.

His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a young healer, who brought his attention to a gash on Narcissa's right temple. He cursed himself for not noticing early but was moved by the fact that this healer wanted to help. Didn't she know that they had fought against each other?

"Alright, Mrs. Malfoy," the healer said kindly. "That should do it. Is there anything else I can help with?"

"No, thank you," she replied, her voice raspy from screaming earlier. "I ought to go find my sister. I'm sure Bellatrix is beside herself." With that, Narcissa moved from her seat on the bench and made her way towards the back of the Hall.

Narcissa scanned the room for signs of Bellatrix but figured she would hear her first rather than see her. Bellatrix was anything but quiet. Weaving through the crowds of people, Narcissa could feel their stares penetrating her. She wasn't sure if it was out of scorn or confusion. On one hand, she had been on the other side of the battlefield and on the other, she was the reason Harry Potter had been able defeat Voldemort. Did they know? Did they know what she had risked? She turned to confront her critics and was met with two pairs of the most familiar eyes.

"Andromeda," she breathed. "Sirius."

"Narcissa," Andromeda started. "We heard, I mean, Harry told us. What you did for him." She paused. "It was so incredibly brave."

"Why'd you do it?" Sirius asked sharply. "Realize that you were fighting on the wrong side of this war? Wanted to save some face in the event Voldemort lost?"

"Sirius," scolded Andromeda. "Let her explain."

"I did it to save my son," said Narcissa through her tears. "I did it because I realized that Harry Potter, like Draco, is just a boy. I did because I knew that even if Voldemort was victorious the fighting and the violence was never going to end. And for the love of Merlin I just wanted it to end! I wanted my husband and my son and my house back! I wanted some bloody peace!" Narcissa stopped short, realizing she was borderline shrill and her little tirade was garnering a bit of an audience. "Now, if you'll kindly excuse me, I need to go find Bellatrix.

"Cissy," Andromeda said stepping closer so that they were merely inches apart, staring into eyes that showed a shared history that none other could ever know. "I'm not quite sure-"

"Bellatrix is dead, Narcissa," interrupted Sirius. "I can take you to her body for identifying and claiming."

Narcissa felt as if the wind had been knocked from her. Her knees buckled and she would have fallen sans the pair of arms that caught her from behind.

"Thank you, Sirius," said Lucius. "It would be appreciated." Sirius nodded and the four of them proceeded through the Great Hall. Narcissa glanced at Lucius and he squeezed her hand gently, signaling his attempt at kindness towards her alienated family members. Finally, they reached a corner where Bellatrix's body was laid out, her eyes closed and wand in hand. They stood in silence for a brief moment before they heard a cough from behind. Molly Weasley.

"I just wanted to offer my condolences and apologies. I know how difficult it is to lose a loved one. And I'm sorry that I am the one responsible for it."

"I appreciate your words, Molly," clipped Narcissa. "However, they are not necessary. We were fighting against each other in a war. These things, they just happen."

"Well, I'm still sorry. Killing isn't in my nature."

"Its not in mine, either," Narcissa replied stiffly resenting the insinuation. She saw the look of regret cross Molly's face and sighed. She turned her body to face Molly, Sirius, and Andromeda. "The truth is Bella wasn't well. She hadn't been well for over two decades. She has been the cause of pain and suffering for so many over the years. I think...I think this ending is fitting for her."

"Besides," she added dryly. "If hadn't been you, it probably would have been Lucius. The two never got on." To that, Lucius scoffed and gave a quick nod.

"What do you wish them to do with the body, Narcissa?"

"I supposed she could be moved to the family..." But before she knew it, Narcissa had drawn her wand and muttered a quick spell. Green sparks emitted from the end of her wand and within a second Bellatrix's body disappeared in flash gold sparks and silver smoke.

"There. Its been done." She stated so that no one could argue with her. She looked up at Andromeda and Sirius and suddenly noticed that people were shifting into a semi circle, all staring at the scene taking place only a few feet away. Narcissa and Lucius turned to see what had caught the attention of the Great Hall. In the middle of all the carnage was a boy, merely eleven years old, sitting on the ground and crying softly. By the colours of his uniform he looked to be a first year Hufflepuff. But it was the older boy sitting next to him, consoling him that really caught the attention of others.

"Oliver, are you alright?" Draco crouched down. "Are you hurt?" The boy nodded his head and sniffed.

"Where are you hurting? Can you show me?" Oliver pointed to his chest and continued to cry. It took Draco half a second to realize that the boy was hurting emotionally and otherwise seemed fine physically. He looked beside Oliver and noticed a young witch his age laying partially covered by a blanket. He grimaced.

"Oliver, I'm sorry." Draco recognized the witch as Olivia Branston, Oliver's sister who was in Draco's year. Draco placed his hand on Oliver's shoulder and leaned in closer.

"Mind if I sit here with you," he asked. "We can say goodbye together?"

"Ok," the young boy choked. Draco lowered himself next to Oliver and the two sat together in the quiet. Draco looked at Oliver. He wasn't sure exactly what it was that drew his attention to the small child. After all, as a seventh year Slytherin it was uncommon for him, or anyone, to approach a first year Hufflepuff. But there was something about poor little Oliver that broke his heart. A child forced to witness death and destruction at such a young age. He couldn't help but feel wholly responsible for the loss of Oliver's innocence. He had spent his entire life believing in the cause of blood purity and leaders such as Lord Voldemort, who had never taken a second thought when it came to engaging in violence. Our side did this to them, he thought bitterly. Draco reflected on his own childhood when he was Oliver's age. Never in his young privileged life did Draco ever have to face the trauma that Oliver's generation had. His only worries at age eleven were what house he would be sorted into and if his parents would buy him a Nimbus 2000; they did not consist of watching people die and losing loved ones. He briefly thought of his parents. He loved them so much and the thought of losing them at any age, much less as a child, was almost too much for him.

"Is it alright," he started, looking at the still crying Oliver. "If I cry with you?" Oliver nodded and Draco placed one arm around him. He covered his face with his other hand and let himself go. Years of fear and hurt swallowed him whole; losing his father to Azkaban and again later to Voldemort's abuse, witnessing his aunt slowly lose her mind to insanity, being forced to take the Dark Mark, listening to his peers being tortured, and finally watching his mother trying to be strong for all four of them. It was too much to bear.

Narcissa turned to Andromeda and Sirius. "I expect that you will want to get back to your families," her voice thick with emotion. Don't cry. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Narcissa," said Andromeda softly.

"Bye," muttered Sirius. But before Narcissa could rush to Draco's side, he stopped her. "Thank you. For saving my boy."

Narcissa gave a small nod. She swiftly moved towards Draco. Lucius followed behind her and linked his arm with hers. Together, they reached for Draco and hand in hand they faced the crowd in the Great Hall; their former enemies now the judges of their future. They braced themselves, not just for the journey, but for the uncertainty that laid ahead. And with that, the Malfoy family bid Hogwarts farewell and apparated back to the place they once called home.