Pansy stepped from the floo a little before six o'clock, according to the clock on the mantel. Perhaps, she hoped, the immediate crisis could be averted and she could still make her date. Then she noticed two things at once; the smear of soot down her skirt and Narcissa sprawled across the chaise, a parchment in her hand and a half-empty decanter of brandy on the floor.

'Narcissa? What's happened?'

Narcissa handed her the parchment and reached for the decanter, which Pansy removed from her hand and put out of reach.

'If I'm going to help you I need to be able to talk to you. What's happened?'

'The end of the world, Pansy. Read it.'

The parchment was a summons, signed by Kingsley Shacklebolt, ordering Narcissa to surrender herself to Azkaban by twelve noon on the 10th day of August, in preparation for her trail which would be held in London on the 11th, where she would be tried for sheltering criminals, conspiracy to murder and treason.

'But you didn't do any of these things, I know it.'

'Bella and all the others took over the house after they broke out of Azkaban.'

'Did you have a choice in letting them in?'

'Of course not.'

'So you weren't sheltering anybody, you were being held hostage. As for the others, that's just ridiculous. Isn't it?'

Narcissa dragged herself upright. 'You think they care about that? You think they're going to worry about the truth? Who, in their right mind, is going to defend us?'

'You can call witnesses.'

'Who? Bella? Oh no, she's dead. The Dark Lord? It's a show trial, Pansy. They've already decided I'm guilty. They're only calling one prosecution witness, just for form's sake.'

'Who?'

Narcissa gave a hopeless laugh. 'Potter. Who else do they need?'

'If the trial is going to be in London, why do you have to go to Azkaban?'

'Probably so they can drag me through the streets on a tumbrel.'

'Look, I know this has come as a terrible shock. Why don't we get Dinky to make you a sleeping draught and I'll come back tomorrow with my dad and see what we can come up with?'

Pansy glanced at the clock. She could change into her jeans and perhaps apparate...Narcissa gripped her hands. 'Please don't leave me, not tonight.'

Pansy paused before answering, but knew she had no choice. 'I'll stay, of course I will.'

'I know I shouldn't ask you this, but, will you come with me, when I have to go to...that place. I don't know if I could face it on my own.

'Yes.'

Narcissa spent the evening talking, which was good because it meant Pansy didn't have to. She watched the hands on the clock creep past seven, and then eight, as Narcissa told her what happened after the Dark Lord had taken over, how she and her family had been held in their own house and treated no better than the elves. Lucius had not been trusted with any tasks, whilst Draco had been forced to mete out punishments to those who had failed their master.

'I tried to protect him, as any mother would, but I couldn't. Even when Potter was brought here, I tried to make Draco say who he was, and the mudblood girl...'

'They were here?' Pansy asked. 'Potter and Granger?'

'They'd been captured by the snatchers, along with one of the Weasley swarm. We all suspected who they were, but Draco wouldn't confirm it; I don't know why.'

'How did they get out?'

'One of our former House Elves, a treacherous piece of filth, rescued them. The Dark Lord was already on his way. I thought we were all going to die that night, and it would have been a release.'

They lapsed into silence, ignoring the food that Dinky had left in the room, and Pansy continued to watch the clock as it moved inexorably past nine and beyond. He would know by now that she wasn't coming.

'...do for me. Pansy?'

'Pardon? Sorry, what did you say.' Pansy tried to concentrate.

Narcissa started again. 'Can you get some parchment and a quill? I want you to write down some things you will need to do for me.'

'Do for you?'

'After the trial, when we are all in Azkaban.'

'It may not come to that.'

'It will, and you are the only person I can trust.'

Pansy went to the desk to gather parchment and quills, as she had been told. 'What do I have to do?'

'I will need you to contact my sister Andromeda. Lucius has no living relatives and I want the house protected. She is the last Black who is able to place blood wards. You will need to be present when she does so as I am giving you, and you alone, permission to cross them. You will need to do that in order to take things for your father to sell.'

'You want him to continue?'

'Yes. Place the money in our Gringotts account so that there is something for Draco if...when he is released. I will leave a letter for Andromeda on the secretaire explaining what to do about the squibs and house elves, so that need not concern you.

There is one other thing I want you to know, and the real reason I am giving you access through the wards. I am making you chatelaine in my absence. You will remain so until Draco marries. If he...if he dies before then the property will become yours and the wards will automatically lapse. The house will be yours to do with as you wish. Is that clear?'

'Yes. But, Narcissa...it is all too much.'

'Nonsense. Had things have been different I think you and Draco would have married eventually, therefore you would have become Mistress of this house after me. It was my hope and it may still happen, but I think it unlikely. I am speaking my mind, I know, but I see little point in beating about the bush under the circumstances. The house must go to somebody and, if the worst comes to the worst for us, I would rather it was you than anybody else.'

'Your sister?'

'I require her to do her duty as a Black, that is all. I am certainly not going to allow that...grandchild of hers any access. I have not fallen that far.'

'What if she refuses?'

'She will not; there are ties that will compel her. Have you written all that down and understood it?'

'Yes.'

'Good. Now hand me back that decanter, and please do not tell Dinky to water it down in future.'

'Should you be drinking...well, like you are?'

'Nothing I do in the next few weeks will have any impact on the future, so I may as well do whatsoever I wish whilst I still have my liberty. Will you stay the night?'

'Of course.'

Narcissa poured herself a generous glass and took a gulp, before taking Pansy's hand in hers. 'Thank you for being here. I know I should be strong, but it is getting so hard. Just as water can wear away stone, so I have been worn down. I have nothing left.'

'Except your dignity and blood status. You said that to me once, and gave me a shoulder to lean on. I won't desert you.'

-o0o-

Pansy discussed the situation with her father when she returned home the next day. He was broadly sympathetic but cautioned her not to be seen to be too supportive in public.

'It sounds harsh, I know, almost disloyal, but you have to think of your future, Petal.'

'I can't turn my back on them. Anyway, we're already helping them, aren't we? We're helping sell their goods. Have you had any luck?'

Cecil shrugged. 'I've had a couple of enquiries, but this is all good stuff. It isn't the best market to sell in at the moment; money's tight all over the place and once people know who the owner is the price tends to drop. The jewellery can be broken down, if necessary, but that means the pieces are only worth scrap value. I'm seeing one of my French contacts next week; things might be different over there.'

'I hadn't thought of export. Will there be any problems sending it out of the country?'

'I don't think so, but I suppose I should check. When I bring goods in I just have to tell the Ministry, to confirm it isn't on a banned list. I'm not going to be exporting, as such, anyway. These will all be private sales.'

'We have to do as much for her as we can. I promised.'

Pansy had made another promise, as well, and one she needed to resolve. Using the excuse she needed a walk she caught the bus to the train station. That was the easy part; going in to the coffee shop took a lot longer, and a few false starts. At one point she almost persuaded herself Mike was just a muggle, and she should forget about him. Then she opened the door and walked in, sitting at her usual table. Mike came over to her.

'Can I help you, Miss?'

'I'm sorry.'

'I waited two hours for you to show up,' he sounded hurt, rather than angry. Pansy wasn't sure if that were preferrable.

'I had a family problem I had to deal with.' She tried not to sound as if she were pleading. 'It was an emergency.'

'You could have phoned.' Pansy didn't know what to say because she didn't know what he meant. Fortunately, Mike supplied the answer. 'I never gave you my number, did I?'

Pansy seized on it. 'No, you didn't. Do you want to try again tonight?'

Mike smiled. 'OK. I'll give you my number, though. Just in case.'

'Yes.'

'Anyway, same as usual?'

'Why not, as I'm here?' She smiled at him, for the first time. 'Thank you.'

-o0o-

'But Pansy, dear, where are you going?' Pansy's mother had just been told Pansy would not be in for dinner again this evening. 'Are you going to see Narcissa again?'

Pansy knew she really shouldn't say "yes". 'Yes.'

'That's very kind of you, but why aren't you taking the floo?'

'I'm fed up having to vanish soot from my clothes. Anyway, I need to practise apparating with this new wand.'

'Give her our regards, won't you?'

-o0o-

'Hi!'

'Hello. I made it, this time.'

'No family crisis?'

'I'm sorry about that, but I had to go.'

'I know. We had to cancel a holiday one year when my gran fell over and broke her arm. Six weeks she stayed with us.'

'Why didn't you give her...? Nothing.'

'So, what do you fancy doing?'

'A drink, you said.'

'Great. How old are you, by the way?'

'Eighteen. Why?'

'Just making sure we aren't going to be thrown out of the pub. I'm twenty. There's a nice place down by the river we could go to; The Three Horseshoes. Do you know it?' Pansy shook her head. 'Ah, that's right; you've only just moved here from...abroad.'

The pub was picture perfect, all beams and a lawn sweeping down to the river, where willow trees swayed gently in the warm evening breeze. Mike asked what she wanted to drink, and there was a moment of quick thinking.

'What are you having?' she asked.

'A pint of lager, probably.' Pansy said she'd have the same, hoping she'd like it.

The drink turned out to be cold, fizzy, very sweet and rather delicious. They settled themselves at a table. Once the first thirst had gone they had to find something to talk about, so started with birthdays and families. Then they got on to hobbies, and Pansy was struggling to find something she could tell him without breaking the Statute of Secrecy. She kept it fairly generic, that she liked reading and playing chess.

'What about music?' he asked, and she said she wasn't that interested.

'How comes you were living in Scotland? You don't sound Scottish.'

'I was at school there.'

'Oh, right. So, was it like a boarding school, yeah? Mixed?'

'Yes.'

'Impressive. You didn't meet any eligible bachelors with a country mansion, then?' He laughed.

'No. No, I didn't. It was all a bit sheltered. I've not really done anything you'd find interesting. What about you?'

Mike talked about his life; school, and holidays and his time at University where he was studying English. 'All quite boring.'

Yes, Pansy thought to herself. She envied him his normality in a world that didn't seem to be ruled by hatred. He'd never seen children tortured, never feared for his life.

'Penny for 'em?

'Sorry?'

'I was wondering what you were thinking.'

'Not much. Just how peaceful everything is.' She looked around her. In the lowering light of a summer's evening it was peaceful. A distant church clock struck ten and Pansy thought she had better get back. She stood, and he stood with her. 'I should go home.'

'It's early yet.'

'I know, but I should.'

'I'll see you back.'

'That's alright. I'll get a bus.'

Mike walked her to the bus stop by the station and waited with her until the bus came.

'Thank you, I've enjoyed tonight.'

'So have I,' he replied. 'Shall we do it again?'

'I'd like that. Tomorrow?'

He laughed. 'Suits me. This time we'll go for something to eat and I'll take you to the pictures.'

Pansy thought that might mean going to an art gallery, or something. 'I'll look forward to it. Goodnight.'

She was thoughtful on the bus home. Should she be doing this? Pansy was getting herself deeper and deeper into a world she knew nothing about. How long could she keep her secret, and what would happen if she revealed herself? It made a release, anyway; something different to the – literal – trials and tribulations in her real life.

Her parents were still up when she got home, and they heard her coming in.

'Pansy?' she heard her father call out. 'Can you come in here?'

She went into the sitting room. 'Hello!' Her parents were not smiling a greeting to her.

'I had an interesting conversation tonight,' her father said.

'Really? Was it about Narcissa's things? Have you found a buyer?'

'I wasn't talking to a buyer. I was talking to Narcissa.'