Chapter 27: Return to Malfoy Manor

Draco put his head down for the last week of classes before holidays. He didn't have much choice. The amount of homework he needed to hand in on Thursday and Friday was a challenge to get through. Of course every professor (except Hagrid, bless him) assigned something else for them to work on while they were gone.

Everyone in Draco's dorm packed a full trunk thanks to it. Draco was just finishing up when a note fluttered in for him. His stomach sank to see Snape's writing, since it never seemed to bode well.

Mr. Malfoy,

If you are interested, the Headmaster has offered you an alternative route to London other than the train. The fireplace in his office is attached to one close enough to Malfoy Manor that you should be able to apparate from there. Let me know if you care to accept.

I have sent a similar note to Ms. Ramstad.

Professor Snape

"Aw, lucky," Theo said when Draco summed it up for them. "I'd way rather go by floo than sit on the train all day."

Draco just shrugged. It was certainly a relief he might not have to put up with stares and whispers where he couldn't escape from them. Draco was just trying to figure out how to fit all the textbooks he needed into his trunk when a knock sounded at the dorm door.

Dagmar stood there. She smiled at him. "Could I borrow you for a minute?"

Theo made a low 'oooh' sound as Draco headed for the exit. Draco rolled his eyes.

"What's up with him?" Dagmar asked out in the hall.

"Being thick because he's in a good mood is my best guess." Draco leaned his shoulder on the wall, arms folded. "You're here about Snape's note?"

Dagmar nodded. "I'd like to take the offer if you want to. The idea of sitting on the train all day was not an appealing one to me."

"Me neither. I'll write Snape back, or. . .?"

"I can." Dagmar ran an affectionate hand down his arm. "You're still packing?"

"Just finishing."

Draco's cycle of nerves came back around to the start as he finally got his trunk to close. Dinner was delicious that evening in the Great Hall, a traditional spread of baked ham, spring lamb, scalloped potatoes, hot cross buns, and a bunch of other things Draco couldn't manage to fit on his plate. He saved room for dessert but ended up losing his appetite a little when chocolate eggs and jam tarts materialized in front of him. They were his mother's favourites.

Everyone else had to leave in the morning to make the train by eleven. Draco and Dagmar walked with their friends as far as the carriages before heading back into the castle. Their trunks levitated in front of them as they carried them up from the dungeons. A note they'd each received from Dumbledore included the password. He invited them in when they reached the top of the stairs and knocked on his door.

"Good morning," Dumbledore greeted them with.

"Morning," Dagmar replied. Draco's tongue was feeling a bit too heavy for use at the moment.

"Kingsley Shacklebolt will meet you on the other end and escort you to Malfoy Manor," Dumbledore said. "The location is Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place."

Draco nodded jerkily and stepped up to the fireplace as Dumbledore turned the flames from orange to emerald. Draco was at least used to the long trip south, having taken far longer ones before. He stepped out when a parlour appeared with Kingsley Shacklebolt.

Kingsley pushed off from where he leaned on the furniture. He extended a hand. "Good to finally formally meet."

"Mhm." Draco unstuck his tongue. "Dagmar shouldn't be long."

She came through a moment later, flattening the flyaway hairs from her plait. She at least managed a smile, however tight, while taking Kingsley's hand.

"There's no point lingering," Kingsley told them. "We'll reconvene in the great room at Malfoy Manor?"

Draco nodded stiffly, trying to let go of all his fear and dread to focus solely on his home. He felt himself slip out of place and manifest elsewhere. He was standing in front of his fireplace when he opened his eyes again.

Kingsley was already there. Dagmar appeared with a pop beside Draco.

"There aren't any Aurors inside the manor house, just so you know." Kingsley slipped his hands into his pockets. "They're stationed around the perimeter. If anyone unexpected should arrive and trip the alarms set in place, they'll only come inside then."

"We're expecting a couple visitors on Monday," Draco said. "Our parents' estate advocates are coming by."

"If you give me their names, I'll arrange an escort."

Kingsley took them down and headed out the double doors leading to the terrace. Draco looked over at Dagmar when she touched his hand.

"We might as well talk to the house elves if you just want to get on with it," she said.

"Yeah."

They left their trunks for the time being and passed through the dining room into the kitchen. There was no noise inside, nor any of the house elves in sight.

"Hello?" Draco called.

A floppy-eared head popped out of the curtained opening by the ice box. The house elf, Carpy, beamed.

"Young Master Malfoy!" she squeaked in greeting. "What a pleasures to be seeing you again!"

She came out into the kitchen, followed by the other two, Sooky and Tibby. Their enthusiasm to see Draco managed to pull a tight smile out of him, although he was perturbed at Tibby's twitchy demeanour. She looked like she was in pain.

"Oh, I's sorry!" She deeply bowed. "Tibby didn'ts mean to upsets Young Master! She will goes."

"Wait," Draco told her. "What happened?"

Tibby looked a little distressed at the question. Sooky rubbed her hands together beside her and answered instead. "Bellatrix got very, very mad at Tibby."

Draco's heart was squeezed. "Aunt Bella was here? When?"

"The nights that the Master and the Mistress left." Carpy's huge eyes filled with tears. "Is it trues that the Master isn't coming back?"

"He probably won't be." Draco took a seat at the kitchen island, Dagmar following suit. "He's in a lot of trouble."

It wasn't a good thing to say, even if it was the truth. All three house elves devolved into loud howls. Draco looked at Dagmar, unsure how to even respond.

Sooky wiped her eyes on the piece of cloth she wore. "Whats about the Mistress?"

"I'm not sure," Draco answered. "I was hoping maybe you three would know something about where she went. Did she leave with Aunt Bella?"

Carpy shook her head so hard her ears flapped. "She lefts before Bellatrix came. Bellatrix was lookings for her, yelling all overs the manor and getting madder and madder because the Mistress wasn'ts answering."

Tibby came around the island and fished inside the teacloth she wore in a toga-like fashion. From seemingly nowhere, an envelope appeared.

"The Mistress gaves Tibby this at Christmas for safekeepings." Tibby held it up to Draco. "She saids to hold it until the Young Master cames home."

Draco snatched it a little too eagerly out of Tibby's hands. Anyone but a house elf would've considered it rude. He made to apologize but Tibby was in the midst of bowing with a big grin on her face. Draco's mum's familiar handwriting spelled out his name on the front. He pulled it open with trembling hands.

Draco,

First of all, I want to deeply apologize for any worry I may have caused. I couldn't think of a way to get the things in this letter to you without risking them being intercepted. Your father may or may not have explained things properly enough for you to know I'm not in any danger. I don't believe my leaving will have come as a complete shock to him considering how things have been between him and I.

Please don't blame yourself. I realized this summer that leaving your father was likely inevitable. You were gradually distancing yourself while your father sunk in deeper with the Dark Lord. Hildegard knew Dagmar had no sympathies with the Dark Lord and she "warned" me that putting you with her may lead you away. I'm so relieved she was right, which I believe was also her motivation in making the change. We never actually explicitly discussed it in those terms.

I had hoped that with you drifting it may inspire your father to do the same. Unfortunately, I fear that he may have gone beyond the point for it to be possible. It put me into a position where I was forced to choose, and of course I chose my child. One day I hope your father realizes all that he's lost and finds a way to join us. I also hope that by then I will find it in myself to forgive how he treated you right before you left for school. It broke my heart to receive that letter from Severus regarding your eye. I'm deeply sorry things ever went that far.

Leaving a Death Eater like this is no simple task. I was forced to go without warning and with only a vague idea of where I would wind up. Don't worry about me. I am more than capable of taking care of myself. I will reach out to you and Dagmar as soon as it's safe. Until then, I love you more than anything. You're the light of my life and the thought of you keeps me going. I can't wait to see you again.

Love,

Mum

Ps. Whenever you get a chance, speak to Mr. Clayton at Tellery's in Diagon Alley. I had to make some changes to my will for while I'm gone.

Dagmar's head rested on Draco's shoulder by the time he'd read through to the end. The letter left Draco numb, which was at least better than the dread that had plagued him for the past few weeks. He never imagined he'd be so relieved by news that his parents were splitting up.

"So. . ." Dagmar said after both of them had read it through a couple times. "Was the timing just coincidence then?"

"Maybe." Draco looked over at the house elves. "What happened the last night you saw my mother and father?"

"Theys was having dinner," Sooky squeaked. "Thens the Master's arm burned. He left and thens the Mistress went ups to her room. Bellatrix cames later looking for the Mistress and we tolds Bellatrix she was upstairs but the Mistress was gones. Bellatrix looked everywheres in the manor and then she gots mad at Tibby for lying—"

"I didn'ts lie!"

"She thoughts you did," Sooky said. "We didn'ts know where the Mistress went."

"What did Bellatrix do then?"

"She lefts."

Draco idly nodded as he glanced over his mother's letter again. He couldn't help but wonder what his aunt Bella had wanted with his mum after what happened at Ramstad Manor.

"My parents haven't been getting along?" Draco asked.

The three house elves looked uneasily at each other.

Carpy leaned up on the island, her eyes and fingers visible over the edge. She dropped her voice to a whisper. "There has beens many fights. A lots of the time they just didn't speaks to each other. The Mistress moved into her owns room across the hall. It has nots been so nice."

Under any other circumstances, the dissolution of his parents' marriage would've devastated Draco. They'd always had a good one as far as he could tell. His father had followed the same advice as Draco did to make his relationship with Dagmar so strong. To see it end was certainly sad, but considering his father was going to Azkaban it was pretty much going to end anyway.

"Woulds the Young Master and the Young Lady like somethings to eat?"

"Sure," Draco agreed. He hadn't yet today for lack of appetite. As things cleared up, it was beginning to return. "Whatever you feel like making."

The three house elves happily set on the task. Dagmar slipped off her stool so that she could give Draco a proper hug. He rubbed her back, similarly awash with relief.

"That's all right then, right?" Dagmar said when she returned to her seat. "Your mum's a capable witch. I'm sure she'll be just fine."

"It doesn't make me miss her any less at the moment, but there's something to look forward to." Draco let out a long breath. "I wonder what she meant about the post-script with Mr. Clayton."

"To me that sounds like she had no idea what your father was called away for." Dagmar paused, lips pressed. "Do you think she's heard?"

"Don't know, but I imagine she'd find out on her own time if she hasn't by now."

With fear for his mother's safety off his mind, Draco had room for a wave of lighter emotion to flood him. He looked again at the letter, specifically the part about him and Dagmar. Draco slipped his hand into hers, more appreciative than ever that they were here together. Dagmar's gaze was similarly soft when hers met Draco's, her lips gradually growing into a warm smile.

She leaned over to kiss his cheek, staying close to nuzzle him. Her touch felt slightly electric no matter how subtle while they ate lunch. Sex had changed in the past few weeks and it felt like it might yet again. Rather than trying to slash through the numbness to feel something other than sad for a little while, Draco felt the yearning to engage with Dagmar in a more innocent way. He was pretty sure he could feel it just as much in her as they headed upstairs after eating. It was confirmed in the way Dagmar melted into Draco behind his closed bedroom door.

Dagmar curled up against him afterward underneath the blanket. Draco couldn't remember the last time he'd actually felt this calm.

"Thank god for your mother," Dagmar said as she nuzzled his shoulder. "I can't imagine not having this."

Draco chuckled. "I used to hate how sometimes she saw right through me on something. I'll definitely forgive this one."

Dagmar turned his chin for a kiss. "We should wait until she's back to get married."

"Yeah," Draco easily agreed. "I want her there."

Malfoy Manor was painfully empty without Narcissa or Mr. Malfoy's quiet presences. Other than the dining room, Dagmar and Draco didn't spend much time in the space between Draco's room and the back terrace. The gardens were just starting to bloom. Dagmar couldn't think of a better place to cozy up with Draco in one of his sweaters that she'd borrowed. Even though the holidays had just begun, she wanted to try and get as much of the homework out of the way as possible before Monday. She didn't know what kind of mindset she would be in afterward.

Dagmar woke up early Monday morning so that she could get ready for when Mr. Clayton and Mrs. Keene would arrive. Draco crawled out of bed at eight, bleary-eyed from already falling into the habit of sleeping in. The two of them lingered in the foyer close to nine.

Voices came from behind the door before a knock. Draco opened it to reveal Kingsley along with Mr. Clayton, who Dagmar had never seen before, and Mrs. Keene, who she now remembered more clearly. Her dark hair made it clear she hadn't been at the advocate office for as long as Mr. Clayton. He himself had long gone bald up top spare a few stray hairs that he'd locked down with a slicked comb.

"All yours." Kingsley winked at Dagmar and Draco before heading back off the portico.

"Good to see you again." Dagmar held a hand out to Mrs. Keene, who shook it solemnly with both hands.

"Yes," Mrs. Keene replied in a sharp, clear voice. "Such a shame it should be under these circumstances. How are you holding up?"

The question had a more adverse effect on Dagmar than she expected. She wiped carefully at her eyes to avoid messing up her makeup.

"Sorry," she told Mrs. Keene with an airy laugh. "It comes and goes, you know. I don't have much control over it."

"Of course, my dear." Mrs. Keene squeezed her shoulder. "If you'd like we can get right down to business. Then we can be out of your hair."

"Could I offer you some tea?" Draco said to them both. "Come through to the dining room. If it's all right with you, we thought we could just do it all together."

"However you wish." Mr. Clayton adjusted the thick bag he carried. "Cheers to the tea."

Sooky was more than pleased to get started on that. After she disappeared into the kitchen, Dagmar took a seat beside Draco on one side of the table. Mrs. Keene and Mr. Clayton both unpacked their bags. They were laden with files, equally thick with sheets of parchment.

"Who would like to go first?" Mr. Clayton asked.

"I guess I could," Draco replied. "My mother left me a letter that said I ought to contact you. I don't know if it was a separate matter from when you suggested we meet."

"Not entirely." Mr. Clayton took his seat. "I'm glad you were given that letter first so that I don't have to explain to you the context of her absence. Your mother came to see me shortly before Christmas. She informed me she was planning to leave Lucius and that she needed to make some amendments to how her affairs would be handled in the event. For the most part nothing changed. She and your father had combined finances, so essentially everything would have remained in his name should other circumstances not have occurred. Since your father is currently in Azkaban, he will not be able to handle the estate. He had chosen Narcissa as his preferred power of attorney, but your mother put you down as hers should your father be unavailable."

"So. . ." Draco furrowed his brow. "What exactly does that mean?"

"As power of attorney, you essentially have control of the estate as overseen by me," Mr. Clayton explained. "You have signing authority and access to funds and assets on behalf of its proprietors—your parents. I want to make it very clear that this doesn't mean it all belongs to you to do with as you wish. It's not an inheritance or anything of the sort. Once your mother returns, it's null and void. She will reassume her rightful control."

"Okay." Draco leaned forward on the table, jaw in his hand. "I don't really know how to handle all of it, though. My parents never talked to me about their business or what all they even have. I assumed that would happen as I got older."

"That's where I stay relevant." Mr. Clayton smiled at him. "Your parents pay me to keep track of it all. I'm quite versed in everything and I am more than capable of doing most things on your behalf. Of course, it's up to you if you'd rather learn the ropes and do it all yourself. I would recommend you don't try to do that while also finishing your last few months at Hogwarts."

"I'll think about it."

"I have some things you'll need to sign." Mr. Clayton picked up one of the piles of parchment. "This should set everything into place."

Draco accepted a quill from Mr. Clayton and went through each of the sheets. The first was from Tellery's office, authorizing Draco to make changes within on behalf of the estate. The next few were from Gringotts. Dagmar became very interested in her tea out of respect when she started seeing bank accounts with balances listed in the six-figure galleon range. One was the deed to Malfoy Manor. The last that Dagmar really recognized was from Azkaban, stipulating Draco as next-of-kin and key contact for his father.

When Draco was done signing, Mr. Clayton looked through it all.

"I believe that should all be in order, then," he said. "I'll just make triple-sure if you want to go ahead, Enid."

"All right." Mrs. Keene cast a warm smile at Dagmar. "Your parents set up something similar with you, but of course things are a little different with your father's passing. All of the family assets went automatically into your mother's name. She has no access to any of it either while in Azkaban, which is where you come in. The big difference between you and Draco is that if your mother is indeed destined to serve a life-sentence, your position as power of attorney is merely a formality."

Dagmar signed a pile of parchment similar to Draco's. She was a little overwhelmed by the size of the bank accounts. It reminded Dagmar of when she'd received her first entitlement payout on her birthday, but becoming wealthy was an entirely different beast from just feeling rich.

Mrs. Keene held one piece of parchment back for when Dagmar was done.

"This one details the release of your father's ashes," Mrs. Keene said. "Once it's signed, they're yours. Your father had a final wish for some of his ashes to be spread in certain places so there are some set aside for that. The rest are in his urn."

Dagmar nodded, throat tight again. "And how do I get all that?"

"I'll let North Cove in Diagon Alley know to contact you. They've been holding onto them. They'll set up a time and date you could come by."

Dagmar wasn't sure if she'd be allowed. Even talking to Kingsley in passing about going to the Zabini home for Easter came with mention of an escort. "Okay. I'll figure it out."

That seemed to at least conclude the paperwork part of this visit. Mrs. Keene tidied up her things a little, putting away everything that Dagmar had signed.

"I understand this may be a sensitive topic, but it bears discussing," Mr. Clayton moved them on. He lightly braced his teacup in both hands, his thumb running idly over the handle. "What kind of relationship are you looking for in-future regarding your father, Draco, and your mother, Dagmar, if I may speak on behalf of Enid?" He glanced at her and she nodded. "We'll be able to arrange that level of contact. If you would like to visit them we can put in a request with the Auror office. If you would rather send letters, that is also an option. If you don't want contact at all, then if your parents need anything they can just go through us."

"I haven't really thought about it," Dagmar said. "My mum and I honestly didn't have much of a relationship when she went in. Is she doing okay, or. . .?"

Mrs. Keene looked uncomfortable at the question. "She's. . .well, there's no easy way to say it. I don't think going in right after witnessing her husband die was good for her."

Dagmar felt hollow as she nodded. "How bad is she?"

"She's had to be sedated," Mrs. Keene replied. "She, ah. . .has taken more than one attempt at her own life."

Dagmar's chin hardly moved up and down with her next nod. Her heart hurt not much less than when she'd first learned her parents joined Voldemort. As angry she was at her mother and as much as Dagmar believed her mother had brought this all on herself, it still saddened her that the rest of her mother's life would be spent wishing to join her husband and wondering why her child never visited. Dagmar didn't think she would be able to see her mother in that condition. Maybe it was selfish, but Dagmar wanted her last memory of her mum to be when she'd said goodbye to her before she left for Hogwarts. In a way, they'd already spoken their last farewell to each other. There was no need to drag it on.

Lucius wasn't in as bad of shape besides shock, according to Mr. Clayton. Draco was open to updates about his father, but not contact at this time. It was shortly after ten-thirty when Dagmar and Draco saw Mr. Clayton and Mrs. Keene to the front door, and for the less-than-two hours they hosted them Dagmar felt more exhausted than after spending an entire day working on homework.

She headed up from the foyer to Draco's room. He followed, falling immediately onto the bed with a heavy sigh. Dagmar joined him after changing into more comfortable clothes. Draco ran his fingernails lightly over Dagmar's scalp and kissed her forehead after she settled.

"Guess we have to talk about money again," she mumbled.

"I'm not planning on touching any of it," Draco said. "I've barely used my own all year and that account is more than sufficient. Plus we're going to be on salary in a couple months."

"That's pretty much what I'm thinking too." Dagmar exhaled. "I don't know what to do about the manor house. I don't feel ready yet to go through everything."

"Then don't," Draco gently told her. "There's no rush. Do it all in your own time. Even if we have to make a couple special trips back from Bergen, it'll eventually get done."

As the two of them rested up from their mentally-exhausting morning, dread seeped back into Dagmar as she thought about her manor. She'd gone straight back to classes after her dad died and she felt better for it. Everything had been built up in her mind and then it all wound up going much smoother than she expected. The same was probably true about going home. The longer Dagmar avoided it, the harder it would be to go.

Dagmar picked at the shepherd's pie Tibby had made them for lunch. "Thoughts on going to my manor this afternoon?"

Draco slowed in chewing. "You said you weren't ready."

"Nei," Dagmar sighed, "but I'd rather just get it over with. I've already built it up in my mind and that's not going to get any better with time. Plus, once I get everything I need then I won't have to go back for a while if I don't want to."

"We'll come right back if it's too much."

Dagmar nodded. Nerves made it all the harder to eat, so she ended up asking Tibby to save it for her for later. It took a while for her and Draco to find one of the Aurors on the property, but once they did the Auror okayed them to go through the fireplace after giving the crew at Ramstad Manor a heads up to expect them. Interior investigations had at least concluded and the house elves were given the go-ahead to put everything back together. The Auror told Dagmar to expect it shouldn't look any different than normal.

Nausea gripped Dagmar's throat regardless as she stepped into the fireplace. She hadn't wanted the detail of where exactly her dad had died, and now Dagmar was slightly wishing that she knew. It could be anywhere and as she stepped out into the great room, she felt it everywhere in the manor house's cool, silent air.

Draco stepped out behind her and touched her back. "Is everything up in your room?"

"Most of it."

Dagmar appreciated the nudge forward. Draco guided her with a hand between her shoulder blades toward the foyer and upstairs from there. Dagmar's hands trembled as she let them into her bedroom.

It hadn't changed since she was last here, although had been at least dusted and whatnot by the house elves. Dagmar always hated the feeling of it coming back from school during holidays, as if it had only been occupied by ghosts in the meantime. As Dagmar looked around, she was certainly seeing a lot of those.

"We could start with the closet?" Draco suggested.

"Ja, that's probably the easiest."

Dagmar had a lot of clothes, but they were definitely the least strenuous to go through. She brought them out in armfuls to her bed and dumped them on the side opposite where Draco sat. There were a couple things Dagmar found that she'd wanted to take to Hogwarts with her for weekends and she couldn't resist slipping them on to show Draco. Whether he really cared or not, his smile was warm as Dagmar cheered herself up by it. Her heart started to ache soon enough at all the memories of doing this with her mum, but they were nicer things to associate with her than her new life in Azkaban.

"Maybe we don't really need to bring all this back to your place," Dagmar mused as her clothing pile created a mountain on the bed. "I could at least get it ready to pick up for when we leave to Bergen."

"Could even send it ahead once we get our job offers," Draco suggested. He'd moved from a seated position to laying down with his fingers folded behind his head.

"I wonder if Fru Dyrdahl would hold onto it for me," Dagmar said. "Then again, I don't know how I'd get it all to her while I'm back at Hogwarts."

"Just wait, then. We'll take what we need right to start and then come back for the rest gradually."

Dagmar sat down between his hip and the side of the bed. "We're okay then to move forward with Norway?"

"I don't see why not." Draco rested a hand on her thigh. "Maybe if we're far away from here Mum would think she could come back sooner."

Dagmar rested her hand on Draco's and ran her thumb over the knuckles. More than being more certain about Norway, Dagmar was just glad for their future to stabilize a bit. Feeling lighter than she had in days, she laid down beside Draco.

A chuckle from him broke their kiss as Dagmar ran a hand up underneath the front of his shirt. "What's this about, then?"

"Feel like I could use a little break, if you're up to it."