Following the war and the trials that came after, the survivors have finally begun to move on. Harry, a trainee auror, knows he has one last person to thank, but little does he know that a well meaning social call will turn lives upside down as Harry begins to understand the strange world of his old enemies. Family, legal, drama.
Narcissa Black Malfoy
Malfoy Manor
Wiltshire
Dear Mr Potter,
I am writing to thank you for the offer you made me. I am however, obliged to decline said offer due to personal circumstances.
Yours sincerely,
Narcissa Black Malfoy
The letter was curt but polite and written in the finest handwriting. It was folded neatly too and sealed with the green wax and the Malfoy seal. Harry read through it thrice through, despite having taken in its information with less than a brief glance.
"What's that?" Kingsley Shacklebolt asked, glancing over at the letter, apparently concerned by Harry's expression.
"Nothing, Minister." Harry said folding it.
"Harry, we aren't at the Ministry, there's no reason for titles right now."
"I keep forgetting." Harry grinned and folded the letter back and pushed into the pocket of his robes as tidily as possible. The fine screech owl raised its wings and flew back off into the morning sky realising, perhaps, that it would not need to wait for a reply.
They were seated in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place. Every day it became cleaner and more inhabitable thanks to the efforts of the house elf, Kreacher. Still, there was a silence in its emptiness that Harry could barely stand. He almost missed its squalid state that he first found it in. For in those days it had been alive with people. Yes, they were all in danger, and their tensions were high but every now and then he would turn and get a glimpse of his godfather, Sirius in the next room or share a joke with Tonks and Lupin. In those moments they could forget, even for a second, they were fighting a war, and when they did not forget, they were reminded what it was all for. Nothing however, for all of Kreacher's house keeping efforts, could distract Harry enough to forget all that had been lost.
A year had passed since it all finished, even the last of the trials were finally over. The Ministry was beginning to rebuild itself, and those who had lost their loved ones were beginning to see a way of continuing their own lives. Still, in the silence and the emptiness, Harry would remember how so many friends were no longer around.
"How are Ginny and Hermione, enjoying their last year at Hogwarts?" the Minister asked.
"Oh…yes…I think so. It's weird to think of Hermione being at school without Ron and me though. They'll be home soon."
"Do you regret it?"
"Hermione was always more academic than me. I don't think I could go back to school now…not after everything."
"I agree…it would be strange. Well you and Ron are the only school drop outs to make the Auror training programme. I think that's more impressive than a few O's in you NEWTs Is it to your liking then?"
"I'm not going to lie. It's harder than I expected it would be."
"Nothing you can't handle though."
"Having survived the worst of it…I almost think I'm being tested on some irrelevant stuff." Harry said, but fearing he might sound stroppy he smiled and added "Sometimes…"
Kingsley laughed a deep, belly laugh and took a sip of his coffee.
"Maybe you're right, Potter, but maybe you're not. You never know what life may throw at you again. But, if you really think that your training is superfluous, then work hard…and maybe you can revolutionise the auror department yourself. Become Head Auror some day."
Harry thought about such a prospect and grinned.
"If I do…I'll earn it fair and square. Being accepted into the Auror training programme without the qualifications is the last hand out I'll ever accept…do you understand?" He added seriously. Kingsley cleared his throat and assumed Harry's own expression.
"That's very honourable of you, Potter, if I do say so myself."
They stared at each other for a moment before both burst out laughing.
"Anyway Potter, I have no wish to divulge any of your secrets…but I must ask. What did Mrs Malfoy have to say?"
"What? H-how did you?"
"The superfluous training of the auror office has somehow managed to make me astute at minor detective work…nothing fancy. Oh and I also recognised the bird from Lucius Malfoy's old days at the Ministry. The owl I mean…not his wife." He added, laughing again and gestured to the window. "So what do you want with Mrs Malfoy?"
It felt stupid to hide it now, so Harry, with a sigh explained the situation.
"Remember, you asked me the other day you asked me if I had any names to put forth for the Order of Merlin awards."
"Yes. You gave me a list of dead people amongst the living we'd already selected."
"Yeah…well… there was one more. I didn't want to put her name forward though, not without, you know, permission?"
"Because of Mrs Malfoy's part in saving your life?"
"Even during the trials, she specifically requested, and paid a lot of money to keep the knowledge of what she did to a minimum. All the press found out was that she had paid a special service to me and defected early."
"Most people think she paid you off."
"It tarnishes both our reputations, I don't really care…but I don't understand why she'd want that. Anyway…after what she did, it didn't feel right not offering her the award, even if I knew she'd turn it down."
"I'm sure it meant a lot to her, Harry." Kingsley said.
"Somehow I think I offered it to her more for my sake than hers. Despite everything, I don't like the Malfoys any more than I did during war. I sometimes kick myself to wonder how they escaped punishment again."
"Not entirely, Lucius is serving time."
"Not life though."
"No…but for the majority of the last of his best years." Kingsley said. "I doubt he'll ever hurt a fly again after that, and he'll be watched. As for Narcissa and Draco, I thought you were adamant they were to be treated leniently. You stood as a witness for them."
"Draco saved my life too." Harry added bitterly. "It might not have been so dramatic but he did. I don't like being indebted to the Malfoys…perhaps that's the problem."
"It could well be. Harry, if this is really bothering you, why don't you pay Mrs Malfoy a visit?"
"Are you serious?"
"I am indeed. One of the greatest lessons you can learn on your way to becoming an auror is to know and understand your enemy. I think you of all people should know that better than anyone. And if Mrs Malfoy is your 'friend' then she deserves to be understood even more so."
Certain Mrs Malfoy would refuse entry to him if he wrote in advance, inviting himself to the Manor. Harry took the decision to turn up uninvited at the Malfoy Manor. Hermione had been very against the idea, noting that it was "impolite and more likely to put her in a bad mood" than if he announced his arrival properly. Ron was against the idea completely for other reasons, "Mate, it's done. Leave the Malfoys alone, I thought that was all over with now. Don't start with that obsession again!"
Ginny on the other hand had given him the idea of knocking on her front door. "She would turf you out if she didn't want you there, whether you wrote in advance or not. You might as well take the chance before she thinks it through too much. If it's what you really want, anyway." She had written. However, none of them could disagree with Kingsley's advice about knowing your enemy and understanding your friends. Whatever form they might come in.
It was why, on a pleasant afternoon, with weather that placed itself somewhere between Spring and Summer Harry found himself on the outskirts of a picturesque village in Wiltshire. The Manor was located in the neighbouring downs that looked upon it.
As Harry hiked up the hill, he continued to doubt himself. Perhaps cornering Mrs Malfoy in her house was too harsh. Contrasting much to his last and only visit to the Manor, Harry did not suspect he was in any danger. However, he did wonder how Mrs Malfoy would react to, up until the previous year, her greatest enemy, turning up on her doorstep.
The house did not seem quite as intimidating as it did before. In the bright sunshine, the imposing building looked every bit the luxurious manor Malfoy had boasted of in school. Vines and ivy had weaved their way along the wrought iron gates. Remembering, with difficulty, the night of his capture, Harry instinctively touched the gate, it seemed to shake under his hand and wearily it contorted into a face.
"State your business." It said hoarsely.
"Uh…Harry Potter…to see Mrs Malfoy." He muttered unsurely. There was long pause, and the face disappeared, returning to its original state then opened with a rusty squeak. Harry walked along the gravel drive making out the sound of a fountain beyond the high hedgerows. As expected, the front door opened of its own accord and Harry found himself in the great hallway of the Malfoy Manor. On his previous visit, Harry had not had much opportunity to take in the sumptuous decorations; the wall to wall green Persian rug, the carved ceilings and the portraits of Malfoy Ancestors hanging on each side of the room. A set of double doors opened ahead of him, revealing the great staircase that lead up to the gallery, from where Harry caught sight of Mrs Malfoy looking down at him. From so high up, she looked ever the snob, Harry had first seen at the Quidditch World Cup. Her pale face was both illuminated by the sun pouring in from the large windows and hidden in the shadows of the column beside her.
"Mrs Malfoy?" Harry said unsurely, unable to read her mood. She disappeared from the gallery and made her way swiftly, and unsmilingly, down the staircase.
"Harry Potter." She said, not reaching out to shake his hand (Harry was glad that he had not offered it). Her robes were plain and a little faded, but a hint of grandeur remained behind. Her face, still attractive had been aged slightly by stress, but her loose blonde hair made her seem younger than her years. Her eyes were cold.
"I am afraid Draco is not here."
"I didn't come to see Draco…It's you I wanted to see." He explained. Her eyes studied him for a moment, her mouth curved slightly into an insincere smile and she gestured for him to step into the next room. It was a family sitting room, consisting of a number of fine decorations as well as two large sofas and a high backed arm chair surrounding a hearth.
"Would you care for tea?" She asked as he sat down on one of the sofas. He had barely answered in confirmation when she magicked a silver tea set onto the side table, the cups filled themselves automatically.
"Thank you."
"Are you well?" She asked politely
"Yes, thanks…and uh…are you?"
"Quite well." She said without consideration, as if any other response was unthinkable. "Well, for what is it that I owe the honour of this unexpected visit."
"I'm sorry I didn't write first, I thought if I did, you were bound to tell me not to come."
"That is rather the issue with invitations, but you're here now, so I assume it is concerning something rather important."
"It's um…" Harry reached into his pocket. "It's about this letter you sent me, about the award."
Mrs Malfoy stared at it and pursed her lips.
"Was it unclear?"
"It was clear…but I wanted to know why?"
"I explained the reasons were personal…that usually implies a wish for privacy."
"I know…and I really did debate whether or not to come here today. But you see, Mrs Malfoy, I've lived to regret not asking people questions at the time ...so now when I want to know something-"
"You ask right away?" She finished. Then for the first time, a smile appeared on her face. It was not warm, and if anything it looked like a smirk. It was not like Draco's smirk which mirrored his Father's. It was as if she was recalling something amusing from long ago.
"Sort of, yeah."
"As much as I would like to put your mind at ease, Mr Potter. I am afraid I am unable to do so. My reasons for declining your generous award are somewhat abstract and long winded, I have no desire to recall them…nor to bore you with them. If you thought that you might be enlightened somehow by them, for whatever reason you have, I am afraid you are quite mistaken. They are of no interest to anyone but myself."
"Oh…I see."
"I'm terribly sorry to have wasted your time." She said politely and insincerely.
"Then…can you answer me something else, Mrs Malfoy?" Harry asked. Mrs Malfoy made no response. "Why did you save me…back in the woods that day?"
"I didn't. I saved my son and you were the only chance I had." She said, almost with offence. Harry shook his head, that was the answer that bothered him.
"No. It doesn't add up. You could have found out Draco was alive…then told Voldemort I was playing dead, he'd have me killed properly, the fighting would have stopped and you would have all won and gone home rejoicing. Draco too."
"And then what?" She asked him. "Tell me, Harry Potter. After the Dark Lord killed you, what would have happened to my family then?"
"You were loyal to him-"
"Do you think that would be enough? I would see if you drew breath, and give you away so that my family would be admired and celebrated for their great deeds in the war? Is that how you think it would have been?"
"I know the Dark Lord was angry with Mr Malfoy."
"And for which we were and would always be punished. I made a decision in the forest. I chose Azkaban for my husband and scorn for my son, but they are alive…so I do not regret it." Her voice wavered for a moment as if with anger, but her neatly crossed hands and downcast eyes remained composed. "Please don't paint me as some hero for your cause…or even your conscience, Harry Potter. If betraying you in the forest would have meant peace for my family I would have done it. I have played my part in the battlefield and in the courts. I wish to be left alone with the truth now at last."
Harry felt a sudden twitch of anger.
"So what you're saying is, you're ashamed to be associated with the winning side, with the Order's side. You can't admit a Malfoy might have helped the blood traitors and the "mudbloods."
Mrs Malfoy stared at him coolly, her eyes slightly widened with surprise at his outburst, but Harry did not back down. Mrs Malfoy may have saved his life, but she was still one of the many who had escaped Azkaban while continuing their obsession with blood hierarchy. She was nothing but a pureblood supremacist with an obsessive love for her son. Self preservation was all the Malfoys cared about, like most Slytherins. No cause, good or bad, was worth their efforts.
"We are of different worlds, Harry Potter. I do not ask you to understand." She responded.
"To understand? There's nothing to understand." He shook his head.
"Isn't there? How unusual."
"Why? You never tried to understand our side. You never cared about our reasons…why should I?"
Narcissa Malfoy stared at him in silence. For a moment Harry wondered if she was struggling to think of a retort. Then as she looked away, he thought, wildly, that she was about to cry. However, she simply stood up.
"I think its better that you leave now, Mr Potter. I thank you for calling on me today. It has been an interesting experience for both of us I'm sure. I believe you can find your own way out."
And she gestured to the door.
AN: More coming soon. Hope you found it intriguing...reviews are a great encouragement.