All for Love
Chapter One – Back from Exile
Remus Lupin sat down as the two young Aurors walk inside his office. He is now the Head of the Auror Department in the Ministry. He's been in the office for almost three years now. At last the Ministry had minimized their rigidity with past beliefs.
He motioned for Harry and Ron to take their seats. Ron sat down but Harry remained standing. He chose to stand up whenever he knew that the mission Lupin will be giving them is not so desirable on his part.
Lupin's grey eyes looked at Harry's green ones. Harry remained standing so Lupin just let out a sigh and opened a manila folder. He took out a parchment and cleared his throat.
"Ron," he addressed first then looked up at Harry again. "Harry, I ask you to come here because of a new assignment."
Both young men remained quite. They already knew about it. They've heard rumors going around the Ministry. Lupin will be just confirming the rumors.
"Your assignment," Lupin continued. "Is to make certain that the Malfoys will be safe once they come back here in London."
Ron's face dramatically changed from unreadable to utmost horror. Harry's facial expression remained incomprehensible. He only looked straight into the older man's grey eyes.
"So it is true?" Ron asked, clearly aghast by the news.
Lupin nodded his head sadly.
"The Ministry has approved their appeal for amnesty. They think that Draco and Narcissa Malfoy have paid their crimes with their exile in Russia. They think that the Malfoys should be given second chance since," Lupin explained. "They are part of the Black lineage. We can not erase that fact. Their family is part of whatever we have right now, as our own families have done."
Ron still looked appalled. The Ministry is being stupid again. Just as they believe that the Ministry is indeed reforming.
Harry looked at the nearing dusk outside the window. He then looked at Lupin again and asked in his cold voice.
"Is that all?"
Both Lupin and Ron looked at him, completely stunned by his reaction. They have expected him to lash out since that is his natural reaction whenever the Malfoys are the subject.
Lupin looked at Harry's face, trying to read what lies beneath his aloof appearance. He read nothing.
"Yes. That is all." The old man said.
Harry nodded his dark head to indicate he understood everything. He was about to leave but Ron asked Lupin something that made him halt.
"When will they be coming?" Ron asked.
"Tomorrow." Was the cold answer of Lupin. "Draco Malfoy will be coming with his mother and fiancée."
Ron gaped at this information.
"He's engaged?!"
Lupin again smiled bitterly.
"Yes, Ron. Somehow he managed to get a girl to woo."
Ron shook his head. He stood up and again shook his red-head.
"I can't believe this!"
"You better believe it, Ron." Harry's cold voice cut in. "There are people who really can be stupid enough to accept criminals."
Lupin smiled mirthlessly at his best friend's son.
"She is also one of the reasons why the Malfoys are given amnesty. Her approval of marriage with Draco Malfoy convinced the Ministry that he really is a reformed man."
Harry shook his head and smiled too, the same smile Lupin just gave him.
"Good bye, Lupin." He said and swiftly walked out of the room.
"Can you imagine it, Harry?" Ron asked as he helped himself with his third plate of pork roast.
Harry just smiled. He has finished eating and is now nursing his glass half-filled with red wine.
"I can't believe that there is a sane girl willing to marry Malfoy." Ron continued between bites. "She's crazy."
"Bloody crazy." A huge and very pregnant Luna piped in. She's being followed by two trays carrying the chocolate pudding and coffee. She smiled at Harry and took a seat beside her husband.
"Hey, my favorite." Ron exclaimed and immediately gulped down the contents of his plate.
Harry smiled his thanks to Luna as she gave him his dessert and coffee. He noticed that Luna has become more mature as the years went by. Maybe being married to Ron Weasley wasn't that bad. His mischievous smiled showed, a smile which didn't past Luna's eyes.
"What re you thinking, Harry Potter?" she asked, smiling.
Harry shook his head.
"Nothing."
Luna's brow rose.
"Nothing, huh?"
Harry laughed and finished his pudding. Ron and Luna should be together, no doubt about that.
Luna smiled at seeing Harry laugh. She never saw him laugh since the Great War. Since he defeated Voldemort. Since Hermione died. Harry remained cold, at some point obnoxious, to all of them. He blamed himself for Hermione's death. He saw how Bellatrix Lestrange killed her. It was Avada Kedavra. He was unable to stop it.
"Sweetheart?" Ron's voice broke her trail of thoughts. Both men are staring at her. Harry could be reading her mind at this moment.
"Yes, Sweetheart?" she asked sweetly.
"You seem to be so quite. Anything worth sharing?" Ron asked, taking her now plump hand in his.
She smiled and shook her fair head.
"Nothing. Just memories." She answered.
"Is it about Hermione?" Ron asked.
Luna's gaze went to her almost finished pudding on the table.
"What happened to Hermione is history. Let's move on with our lives." Ron said solemnly.
Luna looked into Ron's blue orbs. She saw the same pain she's feeling. She smiled sadly and nodded her head.
"Yes, I'm sorry.'
Ron smiled and kissed her. He then turned at Harry and smiled.
Harry smiled back and then quietly finished his coffee. Afterwards, he said his good nights to the couple and apparated to Grimmauld Place.
Narcissa Malfoy looked at the Minister's office with disgust. After ten years and still the place looks the same. Full of dust and that horrible smell of cigar. She looked at the walls and saw a new face on one of the portraits. The new minister suits his name, she mused. Patrick Pelham, stocky and very pink.
She turned around as a voice disturbed her musings. Minister Pelham smiled at Mrs. Malfoy while she just gave him a curt nod.
"Good day, Mrs. Malfoy." He greeted cheerfully. "Have a seat." He offered
"Thank you, Minister Pelham." She said as she took the nearest seat.
The minister looked around.
"May I ask where Mr. Malfoy could be?" he asked but when he saw how her face turned sour he immediately rephrased his question.
"That is, your son, Mrs. Narcissa." He smiled, trying to appease her.
Her eyebrow still raised, she answered the minister.
"He's making arrangements for our luggage, Minister Pelham." She retorted. "Your people seemed to over look the matter."
"I'm very sorry, Mrs. Narcissa." He ran his fingers on his almost bald head.
The woman just looked at him coldly and did not try to hide her disgust. Minister Pelham is feeling a bit awkward with the situation; fortunately, Draco went inside his office, followed by a young woman. He couldn't help but smile. Speaking of timing, that's what he thought.
"Mr. Draco Malfoy, good day and welcome back to London." He went to shake hands with the younger man.
Draco smiled and shook the minister's hand.
"Thank you, Minister Pelham." He said.
Pelham shifted his attention to Draco's fiancée.
"Welcome to England, Miss..?" he smiled warmly.
"Kate." She answered with the same warm smile on her lips.
The minister was about to continue with his greetings but Narcissa cut in.
"That is Miss Katherina Rostova for you, Minister Pelham." Her cold voice came.
Draco's eyes glinted hard but he tried not to embarrass his mother.
Both Minister Pelham and Kate turned red. The old woman was obviously still proud of her lineage. No matter how Lucius Malfoy disgraced their name. Pelham smiled at Kate and nod his head to assure the younger woman that it is alright for him.
"Good day, Miss Rostova." He said.
Kate smiled apologetically and offered her hand to the minister.
"Good day, too, Minister Pelham."
"Shaking hands would be unnecessary, Katherina, since we would be leaving now." Narcissa said as she rose from her seat. "Thank you, Minister Pelham for welcoming us back. I hope that we'll see each other again. Good bye."
Kate looked at Draco's face. Narcissa couldn't be that rude to the minister. After what the minister had given them. But his face remained impassive. She let out a sigh, indicating her disappointment.
"Yes, good bye, Mrs. Narcissa, but before you go, I'll call the Aurors that will ensure your safety back to the manor." He pulled a bell as he said this.
Narcissa smiled sarcastically.
"My son is capable of protecting me, Minister Pelham." She said stubbornly.
The old man smiled, full of patience.
"I am not saying that he isn't, Mrs. Malfoy. I just want to make certain of your safety."
Narcissa's brows began to cross in her white forehead and was about to retort something when Draco spoke.
"Mother, Minister Pelham is just doing what he thinks is right." He said with the same impassive voice as his face. "I don't think that many people here are glad with our arrival."
Narcissa let out a 'hmp' and did not dare to make any protests.
The door opened and two Aurors came in, much to her horror as she recognized the handsome, raven-haired wizard. Draco, in the other hand, eyed the two men with the same degree he gave his mother. He doesn't care who the hell the Ministry would give as their security. All that matters now is that they are back and he's going to do everything to keep his hard-won happiness for keeps.
A/N: R/R please... thank you guys. :-)