Malfoy manor looked lonely and bleak behind its gates, covered in ice. Hermione couldn't recall seeing any of it besides the Drawing room before, where Bellatrix had tortured her. She supposed that in the height of its grandeur, when Lucius Malfoy had been its master, and he was still considered a fine and powerful citizen of the Wizarding world, that it could have been stately and even regal. But now, even through the snow, the unkempt gardens were obvious, and the walkways had not been cleared in months it seemed. The overgrowth on the stone walls did not portend the beauty of verdant green to come with spring, it all simply looked dead. And Hermione could not help but shiver, and wonder why Severus had insisted she come along. She could see no advantage to her presence; it wasn't as if she could appeal to Draco as a former classmate; he had graduated in his seventh year, where she had not, being as she was running for her life from his then master.
Draco and his mother had finally turned back to the side of right, against the Dark Lord, but, as before, at the most opportune moment, one at which they would save their own skins. While she might be able to feel sympathy for Draco, he had been no more than a child when he had been caught up by Voldemort, and made to act for the failures of his father. But then again, she and Harry and Ron had also been no more than children when they had opposed him. She shivered again as Severus rang the bell at the outer gates; which themselves looked as though they had not moved in months.
"Yes?" A high, but weary sounding voice answered from a brass grate beside the bell. Hermione recognized it as a house elf.
"Severus Snape, come to see your mistress Narcissa Malfoy."
"The mistress not receiving visitors today."
"She will see me, go and tell her I am waiting." He kept his voice even, as he always did when in public.
"The mistress has given strict orders not to admit anyone."
"We need her help!" Hermione spoke out loud, desperation forcing her outburst.
"And who is that you have with you? Did you seek to deceive my mistress by not declaring all of your party?"
"My name is Hermione Granger, please, let us in to speak with Mrs. Malfoy."
"Hermione Granger?" There was a pause over the speaker, "Hermione Granger of Hogwarts?"
"Yes?" Hermione was unsure about answering, but Severus' face seemed to reassure her, that all was progressing exactly as he had expected.
"The one who helped the house elves at Hogwarts gain their rights?"
"Yes." Hermione began to understand why she was there.
There was an audible click at the gate. "Do come in, I shall inform the mistress that you are both here."
Severus smiled his wry little grin as he pushed the gate open.
"And if that hadn't worked Severus?"
"Oh, I would have used magic to gain entry, but why start the visit off on a negative foot if it isn't necessary?"
"You are brilliant, you know that don't you Severus?"
"So I have been told on occasion, when I was not being cursed at." The smile still on his face he led the way up the snow-covered path to the front doors.
The outside of the manor may not have been familiar to Hermione, but the drawing room certainly was. The marble fireplace still dominated the space, and above it, a gilt mirror that angled just slightly downwards to leer over the room like a silent spirit. The chandelier was gone, replaced, not with more ornate crystal, but with an iron candelabrum, coated with white wax droplets. It looked positively haunted and Hermione had to take a steadying breath to even enter it. Severus couldn't do much more than place a hand on her shoulder; but its weight was comforting, as was the knowledge that Bellatrix was dead, and that she stood beside one of the most powerful wizards in the country, who would never let any harm come to her.
Narcissa Malfoy looked as aged as her home. She came into the room wrapped in black, with the little house elf, Monroe, at her side. She was gaunt; more so than the last time Hermione had seen her, almost a year earlier. Her hair was graying, and was pulled back in a knot, not the usual pale tresses that had made her a beautiful, but frightening figure as she had loomed over her son. Draco was of course, the leverage that Severus had over her; he had explained it to Hermione before they had apparated there from Hogsmeade. She had no smile for Severus, and only a bloodthirsty glare for Hermione as she swept to the front of the room, putting the mirror behind her as she turned to her visitors.
"Severus." She did not address Hermione.
"Good Day Narcissa, you are looking well."
"I don't need lies here Severus, what do you want?" Her voice was still powerful.
"I need to speak to you about Adolphus."
"I have nothing to say about my family in front of a mudblood." Once, that term might have stung Hermione, but not then, she knew it was a last grasp the woman held on her lost potency, and all she felt for the woman was pity.
"Monroe shall take the girl and make certain she stays out of trouble mistress." Monroe was instantly at her Hermione's side, reaching for her hand. A nod from Severus and she allowed herself to be led from the room.
"Come down to the kitchen young miss, Monroe can make you some tea." Hermione smiled down at the wizened house elf, it was hard to say how old he really was, Hermione had found that they all looked rather the same; wrinkled and stooped over. She'd never seen a child elf, and she wondered if they even had children, or perhaps if they were found under cabbage leaves, or some such other mystical genesis. But she followed Monroe away from the drawing room, which helped to lift the uncomfortable air, and into a spotless and shining kitchen with a roaring fire, and yards of counter space and suspended pots and pans, a testament surely, to the grand days of the house.
"You sit here young miss," he gestured a small hand to a table by the fire, and as soon as she had he darted off to fetch teacups and sugar and lemons and cakes, all of which he spread out in from of her. She was quite overwhelmed.
"Well thank you Monroe."
"Monroe had heard you were a polite, well mannered girl, even to house elves."
"Really, well thank you again Monroe."
"Monroe has friends at Hogwarts, they write him letters about Hermione Granger, friend to house elves, who fights so they are treated nicely."
"Does you mistress treat you nicely Monroe?"
"Mistress is very sad now, lonely, she talks to Monroe a great deal. Reads him letters from master Draco."
"Draco isn't here?"
"No, young master left right after school, went to Germany. Changed his name back to Mistress' name, now is Draco Black."
"So Mrs. Malfoy is alone here?"
"Yes, not many visitors any more, after the master left."
"I suppose not." Hermione sighed. "She hasn't taken out her feelings on you has she?"
"Oh no, mistress talks to Monroe now, when she thinks to talk. She needs Monroe. I think she would die without him."
"Oh Monroe, that's so sad. I can't believe Draco would just leave her like this."
The house elf looked around, as if he expected someone to walk in on them, even though he knew there was no one else about, and that his mistress would never come down to the kitchen herself. Assuring himself that they were alone he spoke, in a hushed voice.
"Mistress made him leave, she wanted him to be safe, wanted him to have a better life."
"And no one comes to see her?"
"Sister came once, sent away." Hermione imagined it must have been Andromeda, Nymphadora's mother; she was now raising Teddy, her grandson.
"What about her brother?"
"Adolphus?"
"So you know him? Has he been here?"
"Yes, not for a long time, but he used to come, after the war, at night. He liked to drink master's old liquors and sit by the fire to talk to the mistress."
"Do you know what they talked about?"
"No, Monroe left them to their discussions, it was a good time to rest, mistress did not ask for anything after Adolphus settled with his drink."
"Are you happy here Monroe?"
"Not unhappy, mistress asks for so little. She needs company, even that of a house elf."
"But you know you can send me word if you need help don't you?"
"Very generous miss, thank you, Monroe will remember."
