"'Kreacher seized his opportunity shortly before Christmas,' said Dumbledore, 'when Sirius, apparently, shouted at him to get out. He took Sirius at his word and interpreted this as an order to leave the house. He went to the only Black family member for whom he had any respect left...Black's cousin Narcissa, sister of Bellatrix and wife of Lucius Malfoy.'" -Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 37, "The Lost Prophecy"
Narcissa was sitting with Bellatrix in the main drawing room of Malfoy Manor, waiting for Lucius to return home, when there was suddenly the sound of a crack.
The two sisters both stared at the old, wrinkled house-elf that was now in the room with them.
"Kreacher," Narcissa breathed a moment later, instantly recognizing the house-elf even though she had not seen him since a little before Regulus's death.
Oh, Regulus, sweet Regulus. His death still pained Narcissa, even after all these years.
"Miss Cissy, Kreacher is happy to see you," the house-elf spoke. "Master Regulus was always fond of Miss Cissy. He thought of Miss Cissy as more of a sister than as a cousin."
"Yes, Reggie, my little brother," Narcissa gasped. "I still miss him as well. I remember that Reggie was very fond of you, so you are most welcomed."
Narcissa gave Bellatrix, who currently had a disgusted expression on her face, a significant look.
"I welcome you as well," Bellatrix told the house-elf with the sweetest smile she could possibly make. It was clear, though, that it was paining her greatly.
Kreacher, however, didn't seem to notice or care that Bellatrix was not as glad to see him as Narcissa was.
"Miss Bella, Kreacher is happy to see you as well," the house-elf spoke.
Bellatrix gave Kreacher another painful, sweet smile.
"Kreacher, forgive me for being rude," Narcissa said, not wanting the house-elf to notice Bellatrix's lack of enthusiasm, "but why are you here? Why have you decided to come here now, after all these years?"
"Master Sirius told Kreacher to 'get out,'" the house-elf explained. "Kreacher is tired of Master Sirius. Master Sirius is not worthy of Kreacher's respect. But you are, Miss Cissy. Miss Cissy is worthy of Kreacher's respect."
"What made you think that we would care about the woes of a house-elf?" Bellatrix snapped in an annoyed voice. "Now I don't like Sirius either, but house-elves should accept being miserable. They should accept anything that comes their way."
"Kreacher knows this," the house-elf muttered. "Kreacher is sorry. Kreacher wasn't thinking. Please forgive Kreacher."
Narcissa gave Bellatrix a warning look before turning back to the now miserable house-elf.
"Kreacher does not need to apologize," Narcissa spoke quickly. "I can understand your feelings towards Sirius. He was never kind to me either."
"No, he was not," Kreacher agreed.
"Nevertheless, though, I would have never thought that Sirius would ever order his own house-elf to go away," Narcissa said. "What exactly led to this happening?"
"Kreacher did not like that the Blood Traitors had returned."
"Which Blood Traitors are you referring to?" Narcissa pressed, making sure to keep her voice gentle.
"Arthur Weasley's brats," Kreacher answered. "Kreacher heard Master Sirius talking to Master Phineas's portrait. Master Phineas was saying that Arthur Weasley had been gravely injured and that his wife, children, and Harry Potter would be arriving shortly."
"Harry Potter as well," Narcissa said in a voice that would have been considered casual if she had been some common woman. "How interesting. But then again, Potter is good friends with the Weasleys, and he is known for having a bit of a hero complex. Of course he would be involved as well. I wonder, though, why would the Weasleys ever go to Sirius? I don't believe Sirius was ever that close to that family."
"They are all members of the-" Kreacher began. Then, he stopped suddenly. He tried to say more, but he was unable to form any words.
Narcissa knew that Kreacher had most likely been trying to tell her that they were members of the Order of the Phoenix, but Sirius had clearly given him orders that prevented him from being able to name of the members. And as much as Kreacher hated Sirius, he could not disobey a direct order from his master.
"It's all right," Narcissa said gently. "Sirius has clearly given you orders concerning what you're not allowed to say. It's not your fault that you cannot speak."
"Kreacher wishes that he could be more helpful to Miss Cissy," the house-elf spoke in a mournful voice full of regret. "Kreacher really wanted to help Miss Cissy."
"Perhaps you could help me in other ways," Narcissa offered gently. "What can you tell me about Sirius? What has he been up to since he escaped from Azkaban?"
"He's been worrying a lot about Harry Potter," Kreacher replied. "He often moans about how he wishes that Harry Potter could live with him instead of with those Muggles."
"Interesting," Narcissa remarked, "especially considering that Potter, even if just for a brief time, believed that Sirius had been the one to betray his parents. Not to mention the fact that Potter did not know for most of his life that he even had a godfather. But Sirius clearly feels close to Potter. What about Potter? How does he feel towards Sirius?"
"He cares deeply about Master Sirius," Kreacher answered. "Potter sees Master Sirius as both a father and a brother."
"That was most helpful, Kreacher," Narcissa smiled, "and I thank you. I believe that I will be able to use that information. I may, however, require your assistance again in the future."
"Kreacher will listen for your call, Miss Cissy," the house-elf replied.
"But only come here if it won't raise any suspicion," Narcissa returned. "I don't want you getting caught and hurt."
"Miss Cissy is most kind to worry about Kreacher," the house-elf smiled. "Miss Cissy truly takes after Master Regulus. Kreacher will eagerly await your summoning."
The house-elf bowed to both Narcissa and Bellatrix before disappearing from the room with a crack.
"Now what?" Bellatrix asked. "I could care less about the brotherly love between Sirius and the Potter brat."
"From what Lucius has told me," Narcissa replied, "Potter is a typical Gryffindor. He rushes into things without thinking. He will do whatever it takes, no matter how stupid, to save the day. And he most definitely will do whatever it takes to save dear Sirius, even if it means going to the Department of Mysteries."
"And Sirius is an idiot as well," Bellatrix remarked with a twisted grin. "We just have to find a way to get him out of the safety of his house and in danger, so that Potter can go and save him. And Potter will have no choice but to give us the prophecy. He wouldn't, after all, want to risk sacrificing Sirius's life. The Dark Lord will be so pleased to hear about this. Both Potter and the prophecy will be his at long last. You did wonderful, Cissy. You have definitely made up for your husband's lack of progress."
"When you escaped from Azkaban, the Dark Lord did not require Lucius to house you here," Narcissa responded in a sharp voice. "Lucius allowed you to stay here out of respect to me. So, the least that you can do is not insult him every single time you mention his name."
"Fine, I'll try," Bellatrix huffed.
Narcissa took a deep breath to calm herself. It was clear that she was going to needs lots of patience in the days ahead.
She just hoped that Kreacher's information would be enough to get the Dark Lord the prophecy. That way, there would be at least one less thing to be stressed about.