Chapter One.
The 23 year old man raised a fist, bringing it down hard on the solid wood double doors. In the moments he had between knocking and the door opening, he relished how easy it had been to get inside the grounds. It had changed a lot in the five years that had passed since he had last been here. The gates were no longer enchanted, they did not ask for your purpose on arrival. The Manor had a much lighter appearance than before. The albino peacock still wandered the grounds, now looking lonely and old, yet it no longer looked sinister or as if it were an omen of anything inside - a pale white man with red eyes, perhaps the man thought as he remembered that night. The late august sun shone bright and warm across the grounds, the grass and hedges seeming freshly green and the flower beds spoke of colour and release.
"Can I help you?" an aged old woman came to the door, barely reaching Harry's chest in height, and peered up at him through her glasses. A golden chain acted as a loop from each end of the glasses, so that when removed, the pair would dangle from the woman's neck.
"I'm here to see Narcissa Malfoy." He said, looking directly down at the woman. If he had appeared to have been staring over her head and into the house, he was sure to have been refused entry.
"Is she aware that you would be visiting?"
"I believe not, yet I'm sure she would not say no to a quiet chat." He swallowed, and looked down from the corner of his eye at his fist, clenched around the wand that was in his pocked, and could still make out the faint scar from 8 years ago - I must not tell lies.
"And who should I say is calling?" She said, the same air in her voice, Harry recognised, as the Gringotts goblins sometimes spoke with, when they requested keys of their clients.
"Mr S Black, if you please." Harry said. The woman peered at him suspiciously, before leading him into the house, showing him to a room just off of the grand reception lobby. Harry nodded his thanks at the woman, before walking into the room, where he did not sit, but paced the width of the room anxiously until he heard footsteps arriving.
"Potter." a drawling, cold male voice said from the doorway. Harry heard the person close the door after they had entered, and he whirled around to meet them.
"Malfoy." It was the first time the two men had met since the Battle of Hogwarts, where Harry had saved his life - twice.
"What business is it that you have with my mother?" His expression was set in stone - one of arrogance, but it was mixed with the usual hint of boredom.
"I'm afraid I cannot discuss it with you. It's a matter of complete urgency though, I assure you, I would not be in your home if it were not."
A moment of tension seemed to echo between the two figures before they grinned at each other, moving towards the other and embracing.
"Good to see you, mate." Draco said when they broke apart.
"And you." Harry grinned. "But I really did come here to see your mum."
"Sit, sit!" Draco said, ushering Harry towards an elaborate couch on one side of the room. "can you tell me?"
Harry sighed - he knew Draco would still have asked.
"'Fraid not. Sirius sent me…obviously he cannot reveal himself to the world, even after all of these years."
"He's alive?" Draco said, sounding rather shocked. "But-the veil-Bellatrix said-"
"I'm aware of that, and I was there. But you know she didn't use Avada Kedavra."
"The veil, though…I've been there once-back when…anyway, it was the strangest thing I've seen to this day…"
"That's why I've come, actually." Harry said grimly, for he knew he shouldn't have mentioned it. "It's about…everyone…"
Draco nodded. "I'll go and get her for you."
"Cheers mate." Harry said, before leaning back on the sofa whilst Draco hurried from the room. He gazed around the room at the moving portraits, who were smiling and waving in his direction. It seemed even the Malfoy portraits, who had endured the lures of dark magic for decades, had welcomed the change. There was no sign, in this room at least, that they Malfoy's had had any involvement with Lord Voldemort at all.
"Ah, Harry. Wonderful to see you again!" Draco's mother's voice drifted into the room, shortly followed by her body. Her hair was still brilliantly blonde, but it was punctuated with streaks of platinum, and she looked older, as would be expected, yet she had aged well. "Draco said something about Sirius-"
"Mrs Malfoy, I'm very worried." Harry began. "I know you're the only one that can help" he paused. "Ever since I used the Hallows, the stone, to bring back mum and dad…Sirius, Lupin, Tonks, Fred…everyone…"
"You've been feeling off colour, under but also above the weather, angry, calm, confused…" She said, her words fading as she listed. "It's perfectly natural for someone who's done what you have. However," she paused, taking a slight breath, "I will talk to Lucius. It may be that due to his…background, he may know something about this Veil and the stone that others do not."
"Thank you, Narcissa…also, there's something else…"
"Ah, as I knew and expected. Go on" She smiled softly at him, encouraging him with a nod of her head.
"As you know, we've been living at number twelve. It's the safest place for us, bearing in mind the need to conceal certain existences." she nodded, and he continued. "it's been a concern of mine for years now, about the security of Azkaban prison, where the remaining death eaters are being held. When Ron, Hermione and I were on the run all those years ago, we stayed there for a good while, deciding what to do."
"Death eaters were stationed outside - different ones almost everyday?" Narcissa finished for him. "Yes, I understand your concern that they are aware of where it is now. But there is a new fidelius charm, is there not? A new secret keeper?"
"Yes, that is the case, but…Narcissa, what I am about to ask could be potentially dangerous…" Harry trailed off. "In the event of any…even vague reference to a mass breakout…I'm not exactly certain how the fidelius charm works, my dad sorted it out, and you know that Sirius is secret keeper, and Hermione's checked everything, but if there were to be a loophole concerning those brought back to life…"
"Harry, you know that my family and I are much in your debt. You and your family are the only ones who have accepted Lucius back into the…well, normal, wizarding world. I will do whatever."
"Then you would accept, if the time came to it?" she nodded. "There is a countless amount of protection that we can give Lucius, along with Draco and his family if the time came."
"I do not doubt you, Harry Potter." she smiled at him. "Now, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave…unless you wish to dine with us this evening?"
"Oh no, Narcissa." he shook his head. "I've already been longer than I thought I would, be, the others will be wondering where I am. Thanks for your help." he stood up, and she did too.
"The pleasure is all mine, Potter." she smiled again and the pair shook hands. It seemed almost awkward and strange, that after all these years, Harry was stood here shaking hands with the woman who had fearlessly declared him dead to Lord Voldemort, when he was not. Harry gave her one last nod, before turning on the spot, and apparating directly onto the top step of number twelve, Grimmauld Place.