Chapter 21- Revealing Conversations

Ron sat at the large wooden table in the kitchen, surrounded by Hermione, Ginny, Professor McGonagall, Tonks, and his parents. They had been ushered out of the living room and down into the dark kitchen so that Dumbledore, Severus, and Draco could determine the nature of Narcissa Malfoy's sudden appearance, which had left them all reeling.

"I was so surprised when I came downstairs and saw that strange woman standing in the foyer," said his mother. "I didn't even recognize her at first, wearing those Muggle clothes. I always thought Narcissa would rather be caught dead than wearing anything Muggle made, the way she and her husband looked down on Muggles."

"Yes, it was a surprise, wasn't it? Lucius had always snubbed me because of my placement in the Ministry and my affinity for Muggle things. I always assumed that Narcissa felt the same as him," added Ron's father. "Wearing Muggle clothing… I never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."

"Maybe she has changed," said Ginny. "A year is a really long time."

"Somehow I doubt she's changed that much. She was always such a stubborn thing…" said Professor McGonagall, having taught her years ago. "She seemed to believe in those pureblood ideals her husband was always flaunting.

"Well then maybe she didn't have a choice," Ginny offered.

"That's certainly a possibility," said Hermione. "She has been missing all this time…. without a home or even any money. Maybe she had no other choice. Can you even imagine?"

They were quiet for a moment, each speculating over Narcissa Malfoy and what she could have gone through over the course of this past year.

"I wonder why she came here or how she even found the place," said his mother. Then she asked, "Do you think something's wrong with the Fidelius Charm?"

"I'm sure Albus will get to the bottom of that. Do you think she was looking for Draco?" asked Professor McGonagall. "The poor boy hasn't seen his mother in over a year."

Ron watched as his mother's eyes clouded over. She had come to think of Draco as one of her own over this last year. "Somehow I doubt that," she said.

Ginny sighed sadly, "I can't imagine what Draco must be going through. This must be so hard for him. Maybe she was looking for him. Do you think she knew how to find the house?"

"Well, from the look on her face when I first saw her in the foyer, it seemed as though she was familiar with the house. And she looked up at me as though I were the one that didn't belong here," said their mother.

"Maybe she is familiar with the house. Aren't Sirius and Narcissa related?" asked Hermione.

"Most pure-blooded families are connected in one way or another… "Ron's father answered her.

"They're cousins," said Tonks, cutting into the conversation now. "My cousins... Narcissa is my aunt… though you wouldn't know the way her sister's name is scorched off that blasted tapestry in the drawing room. Apparently my mother marrying a Muggle-born was too much for the family to handle."

Ron sometimes forgot that Tonks, Draco, and Sirius were all cousins. It wasn't something that was ever talked about and the three of them were so rarely in the same room together that when they were, you would never knew they were family.

"So, she could have known how to find her Aunt's house," Hermione insisted.

"Even if she did before, there's a Fidelius Charm on the house now. And Dumbledore is the Secret-Keeper. Somehow I doubt he told her how to find the place," Ron countered.

"Well she got here somehow!" Hermione protested. No one could deny that.

"Tell us what happened, Ron," his father insisted. "Maybe you can shed some light onto this mystery."

Ron took a deep breath before he began, loving that he was involved with what had transpired this evening, however small his part. "Well, Draco and I were playing chess when we heard the front door open. I didn't think anything of it at first, but then I noticed that it wasn't an Order member. Draco must have noticed too because he got all quiet. I almost said something to her, but Draco held me back. I think he was afraid she would run off if we said anything. Well, I guess she did… didn't she? We chased her down the street- ol' Moody can run pretty fast on the peg leg, by the way- and Snape stunned her in mid stride. She went down like a ton of bricks."

"Ron!" scolded both his mother and Hermione.

"What? It's true! You should have seen the way she hit the pavement! Smack!" said Ron, slapping the table to demonstrate and ignoring the appalling look his girlfriend was now giving him. "And then they brought her here."

"That's it?" asked Ginny, hoping for more juicy details.

"That's it! What else do you want me to say? It all happened really fast," said Ron defensively.

They were all quiet after that, no one knowing really what to say. What could they say? They wouldn't know anything for sure until Narcissa was finished being interrogated upstairs.

"How about some dinner while we wait?" asked his mother. Whenever there was problem she did what she knew how to do best; she fed them.

Draco, Severus, and Dumbledore stared down at his mother's still form lying sprawled across the living room floor. Her fruitless attempt to escape had caused her to rebound off the wards that they had erected to contain her.

Draco wiped away a tear that had fallen while he had been trying to get through to his mother in her crazed state. He still couldn't believe that she had suddenly come into his life again after disappearing for more than a year. Glancing at his godfather, he noticed the grave expression on his face and the way he had his arms crossed over his chest, staring down at her intently. Apparently Severus was struggling with her reappearance as well.

"Is she hurt?" Draco asked nervously, remembering how hard she had fallen.

Dumbledore stooped beside his mother and raised wand, scanning her for injury. "She has a concussion, but it can be healed," the old wizard explained. His wand tip glowed a soft yellow as he directed towards her head for a few moments as he healed her.

"What do we do now?" Draco asked.

"I fear the only way we'll get some answers and prevent Narcissa from injuring herself is with a binding spell," said Dumbledore. "Severus will you help get her in the arm chair."

Severus nodded. Draco watched as they both bent down over his mother and lifted her gently, transferring her to the squashy green armchair in the corner of the room. He was mildly surprised that they hadn't just used magic, but he was grateful that they were showing any amount of kindness considering they still didn't know if she posed a threat to the Order. Her head, lolled forward as they placed her in a seated position and his godfather gently pushed it back against the cushions where she would be more comfortable.

"Incarcerous," said Dumbledore, casting the binding spell. He then said "Enervate," to wake her up again.

Her head snapped forward, her eyes wild again as she searched the room. "No!" she moaned, when she saw her captors yet again. She looked down at her rigid body, realizing that she had been magically bound to the chair with rope and began to panic once again.

"Mother? It's me… Draco…" he tried, bending down in front of her so that she could see him properly. "You're okay. It's safe here."

"No! It's a trick. You're an imposter!" she yelled, her eyes filling with tears once again. "You'll just take me to the Dark Lord. Get away from me!"

"Mother, please…Where have you been all this time?"

"Get away from me!"

Draco was flabbergasted. His own mother didn't even recognize him. He took a few steps back, not willing to upset his mother any longer. Dumbledore and Severus both grabbed chairs from the nearby table and sat down in front of her.

"Narcissa…" Dumbledore began, using a stern voice.

"Leave me alone…" she cried.

"Narcissa, I need you to take a breath and calm down. I will use a calming potion on you if need be. Now take a deep breath…"

"Please let me go…" she moaned, looking as though she was trying to fight against her bonds though her body couldn't move. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"We need to make sure you weren't sent here by Voldemort," Dumbledore explained.

"I wasn't! I swear! Please let me go," she said, still struggling.

"It's no use. You can't escape. So just calm down and listen to what we have to say…. Take a deep breath…"

Narcissa stared at him helplessly and did as he said, drawing in shaky breath a blowing it out as another tear coursed down her face. Draco could see that the fear was still evident in her face.

"That's it… take another…"

She followed the request again, sniffling pitifully.

"Do you know where you are?"

His mother nodded. "B-black Manor."

"Good. Now… do you know who I am?" Dumbledore asked.

She looked at him carefully, and replied. "Y-yes… you look like Dumbledore… headmaster of Hogwarts…"

"Yes," he said smiling. "And have you ever known me to associate with Voldemort?"

She cringed at the name and shook her head.

"Exactly. So you have nothing to fear. I will not be turning you over to him," Dumbledore explained.

"But you could be an imposter… using a polyjuice potion…" she protested.

"Well that is easy enough to prove otherwise. Polyjuice potions only last an hour at most. It's been over an hour since your arrival, though you were unconscious for most of it. No matter…You'll see in a short while that we are who we say we are," Dumbledore stated matter-of-factly.

"But…" she began glancing over at Severus, seemingly confused. She obviously believed that Severus was still a Death Eater.

"Narcissa," he began, but she looked away not wanting to believe what she was seeing. "Cissy, look at me…you can trust me…"

She looked blearily up at him. "How can I trust you? You have always been one of the Dark Lord's favorites," she said softly.

Severus took a deep breath and began his explanation. "I haven't been loyal to him for a very long while, not since Dumbledore spoke for me and kept me out of Azkaban. And when the Dark Lord returned, I worked as a spy for the Order of the Phoenix."

Narcissa shook her head in disbelief. "Even if this was true, how can you speak of this to me? Aren't you afraid of what I would do with the information?"

"He already knows of my treachery, so I have nothing to fear by revealing this to you. My betrayal was revealed last October."

"The attack on Hogsmeade… that's when Lucius was captured…"

Severus nodded. "I was punished for months before I finally decided to have the Dark Mark removed," he replied.

"But that's not possible…"

"It is," he stated, sliding the sleeve of his robe up his arm and undoing the buckles of the leather band he now wore on forearm. Draco could see from where he was standing that the flesh on Severus's arm was mangled and pink, and he wondered if the scar was still tender from the magical surgery to remove the tattoo.

Narcissa gasped in surprise. "Severus…" she said softly, looking at him with sympathy in her eyes. "If he ever captures you…"

"I know."

Draco had watched the exchange wordlessly. He wished he could speak to his mother alone to make her understand that he was indeed her son and not some imposter. She hadn't even acknowledged that he was in the room since Dumbledore and Severus sat down in front of her.

"If you are who you say you are… then release me," she requested, looking much more composed now.

Dumbledore thought about it for a moment and said, "I will release you as long as you agree to answer our questions and tell us about how you came to be here."

Narcissa nodded in agreement.

"And you realize that the wards surrounding this room will contain you for as long as necessary?"

She nodded again, remembering what happened last time she tried to escape. Dumbledore released her magical bonds and she sat back, looking a little more relaxed. She wiped the remaining tears off her face and ran her fingers through her hair, hoping to look a little more presentable.

"Good… now, how did you get here?" Dumbledore began

Narcissa crossed her arms over her chest, sniffling again. "I walked."

"From where?" asked Severus curiously.

Narcissa shrugged, not willing to say much more.

"From where?" Severus repeated.

"Does it matter?"

Dumbledore sighed. "I thought you agreed to answer our questions."

She looked away, looking very lost and still very much afraid. Draco watched her as she was quiet for a few moments, thinking about her situation. "If I answer your questions… can I go free?"

"I'm afraid that won't be possible… at least not yet," Dumbledore replied honestly.

"You'd keep me prisoner here? Against my will?" When neither man answered her, she said, "Then you are no better than the Dark Lord."

"Would you rather that I bring you to him? So he can torture you? Kill you even for your betrayal?" Severus asked spitefully.

"No," she replied, looking down at her hands in her lap.

"Then you would do well to remember that we are not the enemy…"

Dumbledore reached out and placed a hand on Severus's arm, calming him. "It's for your own protection as well as ours. I cannot permit you to leave until we have a better understanding of your motives, but I'm sure we can work something out so that you wouldn't feel so…imprisoned."

Narcissa sniffed, looking away from them. "Then I have nothing to gain by answering you, do I? You plan on keeping me here no matter what I tell you."

"Cissy, don't be difficult."

Narcissa looked back at Severus, staring into his eyes pleadingly. "If you ever felt anything for me you'd let me go."

"I can't do that. You know that…"

"Then I have nothing more to say," she replied.

Severus looked to Dumbledore and received a nod in reply. Draco watched as Snape pointed his wand at Narcissa and shouted, "Legililmens." Narcissa's face was paper white, her eyes huge. They stared at one another silently for a few seconds, until his godfather finally broke the connection.

"You are an accomplished Occlumens, I see. Lucius taught you well. What don't you want me to see, Cissy?" he asked.

"A woman always has a few secrets she doesn't want others to see," she explained.

"I am prepared to administer Veritaserum if necessary," said Dumbledore, challenging her now.

"You wouldn't!"

"I would… Severus," he said, looking to the dark haired man sitting beside him.

Draco saw Severus pull a vial from his robes and was shocked that he would carry such a potion with him. Then he noticed that it was the wrong color, and Draco smirked at the bluff. How very Slytherin of him... Apparently his mother didn't know it was the wrong color because she blanched at the sight of the false potion.

"No! Don't!" she exclaimed. "I'll tell what you want to know…"

Severus nodded and put the vial away.

"Good… now we know you were with Lucius before Halloween last year. What happened to you after he was apprehended?" asked Dumbledore.

Narcissa cleared her throat and began. "I couldn't return to the Manor and I had no way to access our family's vaults because of the seizure of our assets… so I made my way across Britain to stay with a distant relative…"

"In Dartmoor?" Dumbledore asked.

Narcissa's mouth fell upon in shock. "How…h-how did you know that?"

"You were spotted during the battle… struggling to get away from Death Eaters," Severus explained. "What happened? Were you captured?"

Narcissa shivered and drew her arms closer to her body. "Y-yes, but I eventually got away…"

"How?"

"I don't want to talk about it," she replied firmly, not wanting to say anything more about the subject. "I did what had to do to survive. There isn't anything I wouldn't do anymore…"

Draco felt his stomach knot painfully, imagining all of the horrible things that might have happened to his mother before her escape.

"Where did you go once you escaped?" Severus asked.

"No where, really... I haven't stayed it one spot for very long. I was forced to stay in Muggle shelters mostly," she said, her voice dripping with disdain. "Vile, filthy places…"

"That must have been difficult," said Dumbledore, his voice full of sympathy.

"You have no idea. Living among Muggles has been unpleasant at best," she replied. It seemed Narcissa had not changed much from her ordeal.

"Why did you come here?" asked Dumbledore

"I thought the house was abandoned," she stated simply.

"And how do you know of it?"

"It belonged to my Aunt Walpurga. She died in 1985 and as far as I knew it remained deserted all this time. Imagine my surprise to find you here?" she said, sneering at them both. "Why are you here? You have no right to be here…"

"Walpurga's son, Sirius Black… I believe your father and Sirius's mother were siblings, so you're cousins if I'm not mistaken… he allows us to come here if we have business in London," said Dumbledore, in an attempt to be vague.

"Sirius Black? But he fell… at the Department of Mysteries. Lucius told me so…"

"An unfortunate accident, yes, but he has returned to us," he replied.

"But how?"

"Does it matter?" asked Severus, repeating the line she had used earlier.

Narcissa was thoughtful for a moment. "Business? What business would you have here? You have no Hogwarts business here. And I doubt it's because of the Ministry of Magic…" Narcissa's eyes lit up with a sudden realization. "Is this the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix or something?"

Neither man replied, ignoring her question.

"Narcissa, how is it that you were able to find this place? How is that you know of its location?"

"What do you mean? I've always known of its location. I often visited my aunt while she was alive… but it was protected by a Fidelius Charm… how were you able to find it?" she asked curiously.

Severus turned to Dumbledore in alarm. "Albus, how is this possible?"

Dumbledore sat back, stroking his long beard in thought. "I think what we have here is a magical loophole… Narcissa who was the Secret Keeper of the Manor that told you of its location?"

"I guess it doesn't matter now… Aunt Walpurga…"

Dumbledore nodded, "This makes sense now."

"What makes sense?" asked Severus.

"Apparently when a Secret-Keeper dies, nothing changes about the secret they were keeping. The people whom the Secret-Keeper confided in still know the secret and everyone else still does not," he explained.

"Then how is it that Black was able to bring us here?"

"His mother must have become the Secret Keeper when he was very young, so he would still have knowledge of its location. He would have been able to bring me here without actually telling me the location, which wouldn't be possible under the spell anyway. By casting another Fidelius Charm over the previous one, I somehow created a magical layering, allowing both spells to remain in affect."

Severus shook his head in disbelief. "I didn't even know that was possible."

"Neither did I… we'll have to find a way to remove the previous spell for security purposes."

"Anything else?" asked Narcissa, apparently not amused by the conversation anymore.

Severus studied her carefully and then asked, "Where is your wand? No self respecting witch would be caught with out, especially in times like these."

Narcissa sighed heavily. "They took it from me when I was captured. I haven't been able to get another…"

"You've lived without magic all summer?" Severus asked.

Narcissa nodded miserably. "Anything else?"

"Are you loyal to the Dark Lord?" Severus asked, closing his eyes as if he feared the answer.

"I am loyal to no one now…" said Narcissa icily.

"I see…" said Dumbledore, clearly unhappy with her answer. Without her allegiance to the Order, it would be dangerous to allow her to leave. "There is one other matter to discuss…"

"What? I have nothing more to say…"

"Your son."

She sat up in surprise. "Draco? What about him?" she asked, her voice full of hope now.

"He's here… and I'm sure he wishes to speak with you," Dumbledore explained. He then turned to Draco and beckoned him forward.

He took a few hesitant steps forward, fearing rejection. His mother turned her head in his direction having forgotten that the young man was still in the room.

"Draco? This isn't an imposter?" she asked, her voice shaking with emotion yet again.

"Narcissa, you may not have noticed but you've been sitting here for well over an hour…if we were using a polyjuice potion, it would have worn off by now."

"Draco?" she called.

"Yes," he replied, coming closer still.

His mother stood up slowly, watching him carefully as if seeing him for the first time. She reached up and cupped his face in both of her hands and studied him intently.

"Mother, it's me…it's your dragon…"

Her eyes filled with tears as she finally began to comprehend that Draco was in fact standing before her. She then pulled him close, pressing his body against her own, as she hugged him tightly.

"My son… my only son," she cried, hanging onto him now. Draco held her as she sobbed into his shoulder. "I've missed you so…"

Dumbledore and Severus stood up and moved across the room to give them a bit of privacy. His mother continued to hold him, crying in relief for a long while. Draco simply held her, whispering calming words, feeling a little choked up himself. When she had finally calmed down again, he pushed back from her warm embrace to look at her once more.

She smiled at him, brushing the tears from her cheeks and studied his face.

"You've grown! And your hair is different," she commented, running her fingers through his loose locks. He hadn't worn his haired gelled back since he had last seen her. "I almost didn't recognize you."

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She nodded, though there was something behind her eyes that he didn't like. There was something she wasn't telling him. "What about you?"

"I'm fine."

"They're keeping you prisoner than too?" she asked.

"What? No," he replied. "I live here."

"What do you mean you live here?" she asked, clearly shocked by his answer.

"It's a long story," he replied. "I'll explain later."

"I guess it doesn't matter. At least we're together now. I can't believe I found you," she said, smiling once again.

Draco felt taken aback. Did she really think that he was that naïve? She had found him by chance. He knew now that his mother hadn't been actively searching for him. He was about to say as much when he noticed the exhaustion on her face.

"You're tired," he stated, and she nodded numbly.

"I've traveled very far."

"Professor Dumbledore? Would it be alright if my mother could rest for a bit?" Draco asked.

The aged wizard looked over at them from where he was speaking with Severus and the two aurors. Moody and Shacklebolt had been summoned into the room while Draco had been speaking to his mother. "I suppose that would be acceptable, but she would have to agree to wear a magical tether, tying her to this house. She will not be able to leave, Floo, or Apparate."

His mother frowned unhappily and Draco spoke on her behalf. "Is this really necessary?"

"I'm afraid it is," said Moody. "It's the only way we can ensure she doesn't leave. It's just too great a risk."

Shacklebolt approached her, his wand raised. "I'll need you to hold out your arm."

Narcissa shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. "Why are you treating me like this? I haven't done anything wrong," she protested.

"I don't trust you," Moody said, moving towards her, his magical eye scanning her up and down looking for dark magic. "Even if you never took the dark mark, you were always loyal to your husband. We cannot begin to assume your intentions now that you have found us."

"But I don't know anything… Severus, please," she pleaded, looking at the tall dark man beseechingly.

"Cissy, just do as they say," he said, refusing to look at her.

She stared at him quietly for a few moments. She then slowly raised her arm out to the auror. Shacklebolt said an incantation and a silvery band appeared around her wrist. It glowed bright yellow for a few moments until it faded back to a dull metallic band, about two inches thick.

"I don't suppose someone could obtain a new wand for me?" she asked, although she already knew the answer.

"That won't be possible. Perhaps in time," Dumbledore answered her.

Narcissa nodded, finally submitting to their will since she was powerless to fight them. "May I rest now? It's been a long day."

"Yes that would be acceptable," he said. Dumbledore reached out and released the wards surrounding the living room with a wave of his hand. "Follow me. Molly Weasley has already prepared a room for you."

"Weasley?" Naricssa asked in surprise. "What is a Weasley doing here?"

"The Weasley family lives here now," answered Severus.

Narcissa glanced at the covered painting in the foyer as she followed them to the stairs. "Aunt Walpurga would roll over in her grave if she knew…"

"I imagine so… lemon drop?" Dumbledore asked, holding a sack full of candy out to her as they climbed the staircase. She looked at him strangely and shook her head.

The group walked down the long hallway, past the numerous bedrooms that the Weasley's were using currently, to the bedroom at the end of the hall. Molly greeted them at the door, having just finished putting fresh linens on the bed.

"Hello Naricssa," she said, trying her best to be polite despite the strained relationship between the two families.

Draco's father and Arthur Weasley had never seen eye to eye.

"Hello, Molly," his mother replied, her tone icy. She looked as if she were going to say something more when there was an awful screech followed by a clawing sound coming from the room in the attic upstairs. "What is that noise?" she asked, clearly terrified by the sounds coming from above.

"Oh, that's our resident pet Hippogriff. Don't mind him. He's just a big teddy bear, really," Dumbledore explained. "Probably just stretching his wings."

"A hippogriff? Are you people crazy?"

"Mother, it's alright…" Draco tried to calm her.

"Calm? You want me to be calm? How can I be calm with a beast like that across the hall from me? Why would anyone bring a hippogriff here? It better not be the one that attacked you in your third year," she said, still ranting. "That half-giant, poor excuse for a teacher should have never…"

"Narcissa, that's enough," Severus chided. "The animal is well contained."

She harrumphed in displeasure and turned away from him.

"This is where you will be staying. I believe it was once your Aunt's old bedroom," said Dumbledore, changing the subject.

"Yes, I know," she said, pushing past him to enter the room. They followed her and watched as she sat down on the bed, fingering the old comforter. She turned back to them and said, "Anything else?"

Molly rolled her eyes at the display. "There are fresh towels in the attached bathroom. Are you hungry?"

"If it's all the same, I'd rather just go to sleep."

"Well, breakfast will be served at 8:30 tomorrow morning, see that you come to get something to eat. You will not be waited on while you're here," she added.

"Fine," Narcissa replied, pursing her lips in irritation.

Molly nodded and then turned to leave the room. She paused near Draco as she left, giving his arm a squeeze as she smiled at him reassuringly. Draco knew her well enough to know that she was not happy about the situation, but she was willing to try for his benefit.

"Would you like to me to heal your wounds?" asked Severus, stepping forward now. "I'm not as good as the school nurse, but I'm pretty fair at the skill. You appear to have only have a few scrapes and bruises, but…if there is any scarring…"

"Yes, please," Narcissa replied quickly.

Severus gently took her face into one of his hands. He then pointed his wand at her and the bruising and cuts began to fade until they were gone completely. He then moved his wand up and down her body, ensuring that she was healed everywhere. Draco looked away when the light from his wand lingered a few seconds longer on her lower abdomen. He didn't even want to begin to think what injuries she could have sustained during her capture.

"Thank you," she said softly, looking into his eyes earnestly.

"Would you like a calming draught?"

"No."

Severus held it out to her anyway. "It will help you sleep. Take it after you've showered."

She nodded and took it from him reluctantly. Severus left the room, followed by Moody and Shacklebolt.

"I trust that you'll be comfortable for the rest of night?" Dumbledore asked.

Narcissa nodded and he left the room as well. Draco was alone now with his mother for the first time all evening. Now that he had the opportunity to talk to her, he wasn't so sure he wanted to. In fact, his being alone with her now only made him feel uncomfortable. He needed time to think.

"Goodnight, mother," he said, not knowing what else to say.

She looked at him curiously for a moment and then nodded in understanding. "Goodnight, Dragon. We'll talk tomorrow."

He nodded and then left the room, leaving his mother to freshen up and get some rest. It would have been awkward if he had given her a hug or a kiss goodnight. It simply wasn't their way, even if they had been estranged from more than a year. He was fairly confident that the affection they showed one another upon their reunion would not be repeated. This unsettled him greatly, because he had come to rely on Mrs. Weasley's hugs and words of endearment, and he could even find that in his own mother.

Draco made his way downstairs. A crowd had gathered in the living room now that their visitor was upstairs. Everyone was curious to know what had been learned from the interrogation. Draco wanted no part of it. He walked past the room, not even acknowledging the curious glances Hermione, Ron, and Ginny were giving him. They seemed to get the hint that he wanted to be left alone.

Instead he made his way to the drawing room and sat down heavily in the armchair besides the fireplace. He stared into the flames of the fire for a long while, still not quite believing what had transpired tonight. Fires were always kept going in the house, though the rooms were chilled to stay cool in the summer, because of the constant flow of traffic in and out of the house because of Order business.

Now that he had a moment to reflect, he wasn't sure how he really felt about his mother's return. He was relieved to see his mother alive and well, but when he thought back on his childhood he couldn't help but remember their relationship. They had never been really close. And if he was truthful with himself, he would admit that she had never been a very good mother to him. The only thoughtful thing she had ever done was sending him sweets and letters while he was at Hogwarts. She really hadn't ever wanted anything to do with him whenever he was home on break, and to be honest he was raised more by the House Elves than he had by her. He had been nothing more than a trophy, an heir to their fortune, to parade around at society parties. What's more was that she knew how Lucius had treated him and had never tried to stop him. She had probably been too afraid, but shouldn't a mother to everything in her power to see that her child never comes to harm? Draco knew without a doubt that she had stayed with Lucius for the money. Did she really deserve a second chance?

He really only wanted to talk to one person right now… Harry. Grabbing a handful of silvery powder from a vase besides the hearth, Draco fire called the cabin.

"Hey, Draco," said Harry, as soon as he saw Draco's head in his own fireplace. "What's going on?"

"My mother is here," he blurted out.

"Your mum. She's there? How? Are you okay?" Harry asked, rambling now. "Where is she now? Is she there with you?"

"She's sleeping upstairs," Draco replied, unsure how to explain what happened.

"Move back. I'm coming over."

"What? No? It's okay. You don't have to do that," he said, secretly wishing for Harry to come there any way.

"Nonsense, move out of the way," Harry stated firmly. "Remus! I'm Flooing over to Draco's for a bit!"

Draco pulled his head back and then moved back to his armchair to wait for Harry. Within seconds Harry was already coming out of the fireplace. He then quickly sat down besides Draco, taking him into his arms saying, "Tell me what happened."

Draco spilled the entire story to him, analyzing every detail, not wanting to forget the moment of his mother's return. Harry asked a few questions here and there, but otherwise he listened to the story, allowing Draco to think things through as he explained what had happened. At some point Jinx had found the pair and hand jumped up into Draco's lap, purring affectionately.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked, when he had finally finished.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Draco replied.

"Mrraow…" Jinx called, nudging Draco's arm with her head, as if to say that she knew otherwise.

"Somehow I doubt that. It must have been a shock to see her again after all this time," said Harry knowingly.

"I'm fine…"

"C'mon, even Jinx here knows you're upset," he said, pointing to the Kneazle who was peering up at his face curiously.

Draco smirked. "Fine, I'm not alright… I just don't know what to say to her…"

Harry sighed. "I wish I could tell you what to say or do, but I'm not really an expert on dealing with mothers."

"I guess I'll figure it out."

"I'm sure everything will turn out right in the end," Harry said softly, kissing Draco on the temple.

"Thanks for coming over."

"No problem. You've done the same for me already."

Draco glanced over at the clock on the far wall. "It's getting pretty late and I'm sure Sirius and Remus are wondering why you came over all of sudden."

"Yeah, you're probably right," said Harry, rising from the armchair. "Try to get some rest. Tomorrow will be a new day. Maybe things will be easier with your mum then. And if you need me, I'm only a Floo away."

Draco was thoughtful for a few moments and realized that might not be such a great idea. "I know, thanks. But if you don't mind… I think I want to keep us a secret for a while. It's bad enough that I'm friends with the Harry Potter… I don't think she'll be able to handle the fact we're dating."

"That's fine," Harry said, nodding in understanding. "You did the same for me when I didn't want to tell Sirius."

"Thanks," he said, catching Harry's hand in his own.

"Goodnight. I love you…"

"I love you too…" Draco replied pulling Harry down to him. So he could kiss him goodbye.

Once Harry had disappeared once more, Draco sat there quietly for a few moments, his lips still tingling from their kiss.

"Are you alright, Draco?" a deep voice called from the entryway.

Turning his head, he saw his godfather standing there looking at him intently.

"I think I'm in shock more than anything. This whole evening has been so surreal," he replied.

"I can imagine… I need to leave for Hogwarts - that is unless you need me here?" Severus asked, his dark eyes searching him.

"No, that's alright. When will I see you again?" Draco asked.

"Soon," he replied.

Draco nodded and then watched as his godfather strode away, his dark robes billowing behind him. He wondered what was going through Severus's mind, having seen Narcissa again.

He pet Jinx for a little while before he finally set out to find the others, knowing that he couldn't avoid them forever. He didn't really want their company just now, but he had learned over the course of the last year it was usually just better to let them in occasionally. They always meant well, and Draco often felt better after hanging around them.

He found them in the living room still, sitting around the table. The adults had either left or gone to bed… all that is except Moody, who was determined to stay up all night in case Narcissa had intentions that they do not know about. He had posted himself out in the hallway, muttering something about, "Constant vigilance."

"Hey," he said, entering the room and sitting down beside them.

"Are you okay, Draco? That must have been such a surprise," said Hermione, reaching out and placing her hand on his arm. When he refused to meet her gaze

"It was," he admitted.

"So you talked to Harry?" Ron asked.

"You heard us talking?"

"I went to peak in on you to make sure you were okay and saw you two talking. I swear I didn't stay listen or anything," said Ginny.

"Oh," Draco replied lamely.

"So where has your mum been all this time?" Ron blurted out, unable to contain himself any longer.

"I don't know."

Ron frowned, clearly not happy with this answer. Draco knew that they had probably already spoken with the Order members, but were curious if he knew anything more of the details.

"What happened to her?" Hermione asked.

"I. don't. know." Draco replied. And he really didn't. His mother had been rather tight lipped about her experience. They really didn't know much than they did before except that she had stayed in Muggle shelters occasionally.

"Well, what is she doing here now?" she persisted.

"I don't know!"

The three friends looked at one another, raising their eyebrows to relay some meaning only they could understand. Draco felt himself bristle. He was at a loss to understand his mother right now and his friends pestering him with questions only made him realize how little he really knew about what happened to her.

"It's been a long day, hasn't it?" said Molly, entering the room and breaking up the awkward silence. They all nodded in agreement, but said nothing more. "Why don't we all get something to eat?" she then suggested, still feeling the need to feed everyone to ease the tension.

"Mum, we already ate, remember?" said Ginny.

"Oh, that's right. Well, Draco hasn't eaten yet. Are you hungry? Can I fix you something?"

"No, that's alright."

"Are you sure because-"

"I'm fine," he said curtly, feeling quite irritated that no one would leave him be. Molly looked surprised at this sudden outburst, and looked him curiously. Realizing what a jerk he was being right now, he turned back to her and softly said, "I'm sorry. I'm just a little on edge right now."

"It's okay, dear. It's perfectly understandable."

"I think I'll just go upstairs to bed," he said, not wanting to start a riff with the others just because he didn't have his head right now.

"Alright," said Molly. She then gave him a squeeze and a quick peck on the cheek, as he rose from his seat. "Goodnight dear."

"Goodnight," he said softly, turning to leave the room.

He paused in the hallway for a moment, his hand gently caressing the spot on his cheek where Molly had kissed him. It had felt so natural to him. Why couldn't things be like this with his mother?

Feeling as though he was being watched, he saw Moody watching him out of the corner of his eye. The odd man harrumphed, before making himself more comfortable in the wooden chair in the hallway.

Draco quickly climbed the stairs to his room, changed into his pajamas, and crawled into bed. He knew there was no way he would fall asleep anytime soon. He needed to lay there in the darkness for a while to think about things. To think about where his own loyalties lied… with his own blood… or the family he had come to love as his own.

A/N: I really enjoyed writing that chapter. I hope you all liked my explanation for Narcissa's appearance. The information about Secret-Keepers actually came from JK's website and from an interview with her, though I've probably twisted it a bit to suit my needs. What did you all think? Don't forget to leave a review!