Hey Everyone,

I hope you are all liking the new chapters. I honesty have no idea. Its like radio silence out there. LOL I jest, and joke. I'm having a blast writing this extended tale. I promise it is after this chapter that I will pull Narcissa out of the abyss slowly.

Now I would like to say I have always loved writing my Draco. He loves so dang much, and wants whats best for everyone, but sometimes he is not the most patient man in the world. He also has no idea how to grieve. With Draco's reaction to Narcissa we have just about every possible outsiders reaction to Narcissa from Frustration and anger, to love and acceptance, to waiting and hoping she will pull out if it.

I do know that I wrote Draco as a bit of a twit, but not every one grieves in the same way. I hope everyone can deal with Draco being an asshole for one chapter since he has been positively darling through out this whole saga.

Please Enjoy,

Snow

Draco

Draco skid to a halt next to his godfather. He saw his mother stumble about the forest, and he went to her, but Severus felt it, and grasped the boy, and threw him to the ground. It was a blast that threw a wave of magical energy toward the castle. Nearly everyone in the vicinity could feel it, but when Draco rolled onto his stomach, surveyed the land he watched once more as a blast as strong as the last rocked the earth. He saw his mother rip part the earth, literally. Draco watched Narcissa Black pound her hands to the ground and drive out so much of her grief in magical waves that she split the earth asunder in those forbidden woods. She wailed, and Draco took cover once more as a flash of magic discharged. This time it wasn't the earth that was rocked to the core, it was two men. Draco felt the pain deep with in his soul, and Severus's pallor dropped as Draco witnessed a tear fall from his left eye. Draco curled in on himself, and Severus reached out to him. Draco was pulled from his devastated mother.

When they reached the edge of the woods they leaned on the other, clutched to the other. Draco didn't realize how losing Hermione could have affected his mother. She never let anything affect her, and when she did, it was privately. Draco felt a hand on his arm tugging him, and another blast but they were far enough away that it only caused Draco to scramble.

"How does she have so much power?" Draco asked his godfather walking up the hill. Severus only shook his head. He had no idea how his friend could have felt so deep, so strong for her little witch. He never wanted to compare apples to oranges, but Narcissa's loss rocked the earth, blasted the people in the area near her with a soul searing ache. He never experienced such loss. He clutched his abdomen. It hurt.

Draco let his eyes drift up and found those he knew, loved and trusted. He almost fell into Andy's arms as she stood there holding onto him as if he had lost everything, as if the only way to show her grief was to hold him. It was an embrace of shared pain. He broke away and looked to the right. The woman he saw was not the aunt he met almost a year ago. No, she was cleaner, lighter. She was returned to herself. This is the woman his sister saved.

"I am Draco Malfoy Black, your nephew," he re-introduced himself to the woman that was leaps and bounds different than the homicidal bitch that plagued the wizarding world.

He didn't know what to do when she lunged into his arms. He didn't know how to react, so he stood straight and didn't embrace the woman. It wasn't proper for a first introduction, but when she pushed him away to look into his eyes, take his measure, he let his eyes soften. When she told him Hermione saved her, Draco felt the sting of tears threaten his eyes.

"She saved me too, many times," was all that Draco could say. She saved him by loving his mother so much in an alternate timeline, that his mother carried that love for Hermione with her and gave Draco a chance at life. Draco owed Hermione everything. When he asked of Harry she pipped up. He didn't know her mental state. Last Draco heard she still had a few screws loose, but he held firm. He took his own pureblood training and kept his face solid and composed as he thanked her for her assistance as he dashed for the castle.

"He is in the infirmary," Draco said to Severus as Draco caught up. Draco was about to break away when Severus nodded and went to the boy who would not die.

"Harry," the young man whispered as if it were a prayer on the wind when he came back to the castle from witnessing a heart not only shatter, but purge to nothing. When his lover heard his call Harry turned, and they met. They didn't give a flying Gorgon who saw them, who witnessed them come together as one. Snape even cracked a small smile and then cleared his throat at the display.

"I thought you were in love with Hermione?" asked a small voice from the side and Draco and Harry looked to a group of dead on their feet Gryffindors. Harry stood tall, grasped Draco's hand.

"This was, is, and will be my chosen," Harry slid his eyes to Draco, "I don't care what his name is. I don't care who his family is. I don't care what house he was sorted into. He is mine, if he will have me," Harry said loudly, in front of the gods, Merlin, and most of the wizarding community. Draco swallowed looked around. He was not expecting this. He stood firm, strong and masked looking at Harry Potter.

"You died," Draco spoke. It was low, but not emotional. It was as if he merely stated a fact. Harry faced Draco fully and nodded.

"You would have died without me," Draco spoke once more, and then Harry blinked not able to hold back the tears. Draco lifted a pale hand. Cupped Harry's cheek, and thumbed tears from his cheek.

"You prat," Draco whispered as he pulled Harry to him, his arms flew around Harry's shoulders. His cheek leaned against Harry's temple, and Harry rest his lips to Draco's shoulder looking over the blond's shoulder.

"Never again," Harry promised, and Draco nodded, and he squeezed him tighter. Draco pulled from Harry's arms then looked to the remaining Gryffindors.

"I believe Mr. Potter and I have an accord, and have chosen the other," Draco spoke to the group as if he as just cut a business meeting short. Harry smiled and pulled them away from the others and found Snape.

"How is…" Before Harry could get the question out Snape shook his head, and Draco gripped his hand. Harry's shoulders slumped. "She will need us," then heard rubble in the distance being kicked and shuffled over. Bella tripped over her own two feet, and Fleur tried to grasp her hand.

"We will need each other."

Draco and Narcissa

Draco helped the staff and students who had no place to go put together the castle. It was slow going, the work was hard, but for some reason Draco loved it. He used muscles he never thought he would ever use in his life. Manual labor. A Black doing manual labor. It was laughable, if it wasn't one of most generous things Draco had done, no a Malfoy had done. Draco didn't know it, but he was changing the opinions of how people thought of the name Malfoy.

The families who received their kids, on the night Hogwarts fell were ever grateful, and offered assistance in any way they could. Draco only told them to share their good fortune with those who have lost. The small elite that joined Draco helped in any way they could. Especially with scholarships to the fallen families with children who lost their parents.

Yes, it was charity, but it was not out of malice or status. It was a debt repaid, for the young man who offered them protection for their families and most importantly their children.

Draco Malfoy Black became a hero and didn't even know it. He didn't want it though. It was only those in the pureblood, money heavy circles that ended up with his protection and in the middle of the night he often found him self wishing he could have done more for everyone. He wished the children didn't have to fight.

It was with that thought in mind, he wished his sister didn't have to fight. He wished Harry didn't have to fight. He wished none of this had happened. He pulled himself from his bed. He knew it was late, in the middle of the night, but he walked to the common area. He and Harry took the bedroom next to Narcissa's and… Draco looked to the door when his mother lay. He knocked.

Nothing.

He pushed the door open slowly. He let his shoulders drop, as he walked into the room. His mother was not there. He walked to the window and looked out over Hogwarts. Flashed of magic in the western area of the Forbidden Forest rebounded of the trees. Draco sighed and went back to the common area and made a cup of chamomile tea.

"She has been doing this for a long while Draco," Spoke a soft voice, and Draco looked up. There beside him was a miracle. A miracle only Hermione could make. Draco gestured for the ghost to sit with him.

"Hello Martin," Draco greeted the man and watched as the ghost's features spoke of his loss as well.

"She is decimated, Draco," then Martin looked up into Draco's eyes, "How do we get her back?" The ghost asked. Draco had been asking himself since he found his mother in the forest splitting the world apart.

"I wish I knew. Hell, I honestly have no idea how she survived coming back the first time and didn't have Hermione," Draco sighed, then sipped from his hot cup.

Both young man and ghost sat and waited for a miracle. But if anything, this world, and the story of his Mother and Hermione had taught him. You had to take the world with your own hands, shape it as much as you could with the hand of destiny guiding you.

A few days later…

He pushed open the door. She was there. Draco walked to his mother's bed side, and pushed the hair from her face, and looked at her. She looked horrible. He would not lie, but it was as if something sucked on her soul. He reached into the bag and put her journal on the bed side. He leaned down, kissed her forehead, told her he loved her, and then stood to leave. He shut the door. When the door closed, he nearly jumped from his skin as a solid thud and a smash knocked on the door behind him. He opened the door, popped his head in. She shifted her position, flipped away from the light of the window. He looked around to find the source of the sound. Ink ran down the wall, and the journal lay open, on top of its open pages. Draco waved his wand. The ink pot was gathered and replaced by the window on the desk. He bent to pick up the book.

"Leave it," Narcissa croaked. Draco's head flew up. He could see the glimmer of her eyes. He saw them for the first time in so long his breath caught. They looked like dim, like unpolished tanzanite. He growled, picked up the book, and then slammed it on the desk. He dared her to do something, hex him, curse him, hell, even swear at him. He stood there, defiant staring into his mother's eyes. Then she looked away. He walked from her room, slammed the door, and then collected himself.

Well, at least she spoke.

A few more days later…

"Draco…" Harry stopped his lover. Draco nearly spun frustrated into Harry as he pulled Harry's hand from Draco's arm. Harry stood back, hands up in surrender. Draco sighed, and then placed his hands on his hips.

"She needs to stop this shit," Draco whispered. But he knew it would be more than just two weeks in bed, and then wake up with smiles. Harry hugged him.

"Yes, but she is grieving. She lost her soulmate, Draco. I could never imagine losing you, and we don't even have that bond," Harry pointed out, and Draco flinched. He wanted that with Harry. He wanted them to be soulmates and complete the other.

"Quit your bitching," came a soft growl from down the hall. Both Harry and Draco turned. Harry smiled and went to the woman and wrapped his arms around her. They held the other tightly and then pulled apart. Then Harry hugged the other woman which pulled a chuckle from her chest.

"I remember when you shied away from me on the steps to the owlery afraid to even have me in your personal space, and now you are initiating hugs," Fleur's smile sparked at the boy, "You have grown my friend."

Harry blushed, but looked to Bella and reached for her hand.

"How are the dreams, Love," Harry asked and then Bella sighed, clasped Fleur's hand.

"Getting better. Snape is helping with the shields, and Fleur is helping me talk through a lot of these things that are bothering me," Bella looked at Fleur, and the veela smiled and nodded, "It will take a lot of time, but Bones just put me under a house arrest of sorts, and I am to do community service here at the school under explicit supervision by either Sev, McGonagall, or Fleur."

"Doing what?' Harry asked.

"Would you believe they are going to make the next Defense against Dark Arts Teacher, and one weekend a month I will be taken to Ministry where Bones will make me train Aurors. I guess as part of that punishment they have to catch little old me," Bella laughed. Draco noticed there was less of a cackle and more of a chuckle more and more.

"That's…good?" Harry asked, and said at the same time not sure if it was a good thing.

"As long as I am not in Azkaban, I will do anything I can to stay out of there, and…" Bella looked sideways toward Fleur. A smile touched their lips. Harry smiled warmly and reached for Draco, but Draco was a bit further away than Harry wanted. Draco excused himself. Walked to their quarters.

"He has lost her too," Fleur said, and Harry met Fleur's eyes, then Bella's, "Draco and Hermione had a special bond. If it wasn't for Hermione, he would never have had what he does now," Fleur said, and Bella nodded.

"Yes, he would not have been born," Harry said softly wishing his friend was there with them.

"No, you daft duck," Fleur snapped and Bella snickered and said something that said something vaguely like farm animals under her breath, "If Hermione would not have come into everyone's life, would you have befriended Draco? Would Narcissa have found her soulmate? Would I have found the first love of my life?" then Fleur looked to Bella, "Would I have tried to love this English cow right here?" Fleur asked. Harry shook his head.

"Probably not," He replied and then look properly chastised, "Not everything is about their past. If it was fated it would have been fated one way or another. But so very different. I need to stop thinking of Hermione and Narcissa being the beginning of everything," Harry ran his hand through his hair. Fleur reached out.

"Draco and you," she began, and then looked at him, "Your bond, your choices are as pure and beautiful as Hermione's and Narcissa's," Fleur smiled then shook his hand, "All because you chose to love that man that walked away from this conversation. Sometimes it isn't the reason why you love. It is the way you love. Love him Harry the way you have always loved," Fleur said.

"How do I love?" Harry whispered. Then he was popped in the back of the head, brought out of Fleur's blue eyes to Bella's deep dark ones.

"With everything you got, boy," Bella turned Harry around and pushed him down the hall after Draco's path.

Draco found his way to his mother's door. He knocked, and then opened the door. She was sleeping, again, but this time Draco sighed. He entered the doorway. He walked to the bed, and then lay down next to her. He heard Narcissa take a deep breath and then shift. She shifted from him but flipped to see her son. Draco looked into her eyes. Almost dead, like a doll. Then he looked up to the ceiling, he felt Her take his hand, and then close her eyes.

"You will not run me off any longer. I will not leave. Curse me, hex me, scream at me, but I will not leave you," Draco said softly, but with authority to his voice. He hear her sigh and then turn to her back. He looked to her, and the small nod. Draco let go of a breath he didn't know he held.

"The castle is coming along, slowly, but steadily. We may have to push back the start of the year by a month but we hope to open as we always have in August," Draco let his words wall.

"Harry and I have basically told all of wizarding world we are a couple, and in front of his clan of Gryffindors. You should have seen their faces. Maybe ill give you the memory. It was priceless," he chuckled.

"I miss you," he whispered. He paused, and then he felt a shuffle and Narcissa squeezed his hand.

"Please talk to me," he begged as he looked over to his mother. But he was met with tears streaming into her hair line. He sighed, and then looked to the ceiling. Draco shook his head, then he felt Narcissa's hand grasp his tighter and squeeze as if he was a lifeline.

"I love you, Little Lord," it was there, the whisper in affirmation that his mother wasn't completely gone. Her voice was gone, but her words breathed into the space above them made his own eyes overflow. He squeezed her hand back.

The third week..

"We have decided we want to…" Draco lay in that bed, as seemed part of his routine talking to the ceiling hoping his mother would be there, listening. She always told him she loved him, but that was it.

"We want your blessing," Draco said and then looked to Narcissa and he gulped. Her blue eyes shone brighter than they had in weeks. She nodded for him continue.

"We want your blessing to be together, bonded in the wizarding world," he said and then he saw her smile. It was weak, and empty but it was there. His heart soared when she brought his hand to her lips and kissed their clasped hands.

"Yes," she gave them their blessing. Draco pulled her to him, overjoyed and then jumped and paced excited. Narcissa sat up for the first time in forever during the day. Everyone knew where she went at night. She was by no means weak, but Draco saw this, he was elated, then he sat on the side of the bed, clasped her hands.

"We also want to do as you have done for Hermione, and go through trial for rite to marry," Draco felt his stomach bottom out. His mother, who looked as if she was somewhat coming back to him crumbled in on herself. Draco sat shocked as he watched the woman go from smiling to that of a virtual book folded in on herself. Shaking, no, that's not the right term. Quaking she shook as if someone hit her with a Crucio, and Draco didn't know what to do. She wailed and screamed. He flew from the room. He looked to Martin as Martin ran into the room from his portrait.

"What in the bloody hell happened?" asked the ghost. Draco shook his head, he blinked, and got his breathing under control.

"I asked if we can do the goblin trial of rite to marry, and she freaked out," Draco blinked and then she leaned against the door listening to his mothers' wails. He banged the back of his head and clenched his jaw.

"I merely said Hermione's name and she went absolutely mental," Draco growled, "Fuck it, I will live this life as I see fit seeing as she isn't fucking fit for ANYTHING!" Draco bellowed as he charged from the room.

He went to find Harry. He would have his happiness, with or without Narcissa breaking down every 5 damn seconds.

Forth Week…

When Draco heard of his mother's collapse, he swallowed, and sprinted down the halls to the infirmary. Harry quick on his heels. When he got to the room his mother looked so small, so fragile. He had not been back to see her since she lost her nut overhearing her wife's name. And his heart ached with guilt as he sat in the chair and looked at her. He let Severus do what he could, but he prayed he didn't finally lose her. He knew the soulmate bond. With Hermione gone, it was only a matter of time. She was slipping away day by day, memory by memory, and moment by moment. He clutched her hand.

"I know I can't stop you. If you are to go then it is your time, but you are not a quitter," Draco whispered to his mother, "You will take life by the balls and clench and twist and LIVE, for your are Narcissa Granger Black Martindirk, Heir to Martindirk Clan, Head of House Black, survivor, and a true wonder to the universe," Draco closed his eyes, and swallowed, "You are my mother, and you survived, and you will survive this," Draco's voice growled by the time he was done, and he felt a twitch in Narcissa's fingers, but her eyes didn't open. He would take it. It meant she tried.

When her eyes did open, they were clear, and focused, but very very dull. She looked around, and finally he eyes settled on him.

"Hey," Draco blushed at the comment, the three-letter word that escaped his lips like a commoner, but at the moment he was lucky to get those words out of his throat. She grasped his hand harder and smiled wetly.

"I love you," she croaked. It was the strongest her voice had been in their interactions. Then Still clutching Draco's hand he witnessed her eyes soften when she saw Fleur. Draco let go of his mother's hand as Fleur brushed her lips against his mothers. He was still confused about their relationship. Then when she addressed Bella, and Bella looked away trying to hide her tears, he couldn't help but be thankful she was there when he was not. He was still observing the woman, but he was coming around.

When she apologized, and then her eyes closed they were rushed out of the infirmary. Draco had what he wanted. His mother was surviving.

Harry came up and clutched him around the waist and he threw his arm around Harry's shoulders. He wanted his mother to know what they had done, how much they had grown as a pair, and their bond would not be broken.

"Take me to bed. I need you to be there for once and fall asleep in your arms," Harry softly demanded. Draco smiled. His little panther was getting a little more demanding, but he was lost to this man, his bound by rite of a goblin trial of marriage.