Chapter 30: Friends?

Severus walked to the library in a daze. He hoped Emma was still there. He passed Augusta and Minerva, who were leaving the manor, but he didn't see them. Inertia was moving him forward. Who would have known that he would come to depend on someone who months ago was a complete stranger? Had he not gone through detox, the doctor would have never become someone he felt he could talk to at all, let alone pour his heart out to and share the demons that kept him up at night.

His heart had constricted painfully with intense yearn when he saw Narcissa and Draco curled up next to each other. He would have really liked to join them as his godson suggested, just to hold them and guard their dream, but it wasn't his place. Regardless of his being a Death Eater, and with all the compulsions and potions he was under, he had never attacked or hurt a woman consciously. When he was studying his repressed memories, he was terrified he would see himself raping anyone. Few things disgusted the potions' master as much as that.

The intimate embrace he had shared with Narcissa to try to calm her down had touched him deeply. Knowing he was needed, and he could help her, made him feel proud. Severus was so glad she had survived the horrors of Malfoy Manor and all its degenerates. Seeing her break down made him feel an overwhelming need to protect her, to care for her, to never let go. Never? Merlin! He shook his head in an attempt to clear it. Severus pushed in one of the tall double doors slightly.

Emma was finishing a steamy cup of chai tea with almond milk in the library as she went over the professors' summary and her own notes. Her husband had immediately set to work on the SWOT after their meeting. He made his list and left space for her to add and revise. Since he was still working at the hospital, he didn't have a lot of time to have an actual family meeting. Today his schedule was full, so he scribbled the list, grabbed the lunch that was packed for him at Emma's request, and took Neesy's hand so she could take him to London. Daniel's list was very comprehensive. She added her own thoughts and preferences. Then, as she was about to turn the draft into a cleaner final version, Severus' head popped through the door.

"Hey, how is she?" Emma asked.

"She cried herself to sleep. I… um… I put her to bed and left her with Draco…" Severus shuffled and sat in an armchair across from the doctor.

"What are you not telling me, Severus?" Emma looked curiously at the pale man.

"I… If I didn't know better, I would think you can read minds…"

"Damn it! I just blew my cover!" Emma laughed good-naturedly while Severus looked down, conflicted. This stopped her laughter. Emma put down her draft and sat on the edge of her seat. "I don't need to read your mind, honey. You went after an irate, hurt woman who was about to burst."

"I felt I had to be there for her," he shrugged. She called him honey. No one had ever called Severus Snape honey, not even his mother nor Lily. The realization that he didn't mind Emma calling him that was quite a shock. Old Snape would have felt like breaking something. But the doctor said the word in such a genuine, motherly tone, without any malice or mocking intentions, that he felt oddly closer to her than he already did, which for Severus' standards was saying a lot.

"And yet, here you are… pale, nervous, and asking for advice. Because that is what you are doing… Isn't it?" Emma asked. He let out a shaky breath.

"I am feeling things," he said slowly as if it was physically painful to admit it. Emma sat without moving or interrupting. She merely blinked slowly as she processed this new data point. He carried on. "I don't even know what things. I am not used to having feelings like this." He grimaced. "I really don't know what to do about it or if I even should do anything at all…"

"And?"

"And you are good with that..."

"With what?"

"Feelings! I can't talk to Sirius or Remus about this. They would only tease me, especially Sirius, and she is his cousin. My mom is dealing with enough as it is. Ianthe is pretty much a stranger to me. Martin is a priest… and your husband just left… I clearly can't talk to Narcissa about this," Severus pulled his hair back and sighed.

"Oh, I get it… So, I am your last choice," Emma said, pretending to be upset. She crossed her arms, lifted a contemptuous brow in a questioning manner. "You wound me."

Severus sputtered, looking down. He never wanted to offend her. "N-No! Emma! You were the first person I thought of!"

Emma grabbed one of his hands and squeezed with a chuckle. "I know, you silly man. I am just messing with you. Talk to me."

"I am b-baffled. The last time I felt any strong emotions like this was…" Snape trailed off. He couldn't say it.

"Lily?" Emma smiled knowingly.

He nodded. "But I don't think it's the same… I feel lost."

"Well, honey, let's find you," Emma patted the man's cold hand. "You say it's similar but different… Different how?"

"Yes, I… with Lily, I always knew what I felt. I was always in love with her. We grew up together. She was the only p-person I ever thought of b-building a life with," Severus sighed. He could see Lily smiling in his mind, and it still made his heart skip a beat.

"Did you ever… pursue anyone else? After Lily?" Emma asked in a neutral tone. "I mean… not to sound indelicate, but several years have passed since her death."

"No… I never did… I must sound pathetic…" Snape hung his head low in shame.

Emma took a slow, deep breath. "You are not pathetic. You are a man in love."

His head snapped up, "Are? As in the present tense?"

She nodded. "Yes, Sev, I don't think the love you had for Lily is the kind that people can just get over…"

Severus tilted his head in confusion.

"Every account I've heard about Lily Potter paints her as a fierce woman with a heart of gold. Remus told me Harry has her beautiful eyes, and Sirius says her physical appearance was only surpassed by her lovely soul," Emma smiled at the man. His eyes teared up as he nodded. He looked away. "Some loves are just there… Always. You may move on, but the feeling will never die."

"She was the most incredible person I ever met… She found it in her heart to love me, to a-accept me… I-I," he inhaled shakily in a vain attempt to calm down. He covered his face with his hands. He wasn't used to crying in front of anyone.

Emma got up and sat on the right arm of his armchair. She pulled his head to rest on low on her thigh and began caressing the man's hair as he surrendered to her touch and cried. He was so broken at the moment that he did not resist at all. "Shhh… it's okay to have feelings, Sev."

"B-But it hurts," he replied with a hoarse voice. "It hurts so much."

Emma closed her eyes and sighed, "You can't go through life without feeling anything in the off chance that it may hurt. I am sure Lily wouldn't have wanted that. You have had a hard life. You deserve happiness and love."

Severus shook his head, "I really d-don't."

"Honey, why do you think that?" Emma kept caressing the man's hair soft hair. The shampoo she had brought him was beginning to show results.

Severus' voice sounded so defeated. She felt like she was taking care of a very tall child, which she mused was probably the case. He had survived abuse as a child, trauma as a teenager, and heartbreak as an adult. Emma had read once that people's psychological development is usually stunted at the age when severe trauma occurs.

"I-I was a Death Eater…"

"Excuse you?! As I understand, you were drugged, had your memories deleted, and acted as a double agent to try to keep Lily safe… I mean, you loved her. You loved her so much that even after she got married and you knew she would never be yours, you were willing to risk your life for her. The only reward you would have gotten if things had been different would have been for her to be alive, but with James, honey…"

"I wouldn't have cared. It would have been enough. I wanted her in my life, even if she didn't love me like that. She was my best friend… My only friend… I can't feel worthy of anything good… It was m-my fault Voldemort chose Harry in the first place…"

"What!? What do you even mean your fault?" Emma was perplexed, but she forced herself to keep caressing the man's hair.

"There was a prophecy made…" Severus began telling Emma about his biggest regret.

In the manor's study, Remus was pacing while reading a long parchment out loud. His plaid shirt had the top three buttons undone, and the sleeves were rolled up. He was wearing a pair of jeans that Sirius got for him and his reading glasses. Sirius was trying to focus on what Remy was saying, but there was a tantalizing drop of sweat rolling down the man's neck slowly. It glistened when the sun rays coming through the skylight hit it. Sirius' tongue was longing to lick it away. The dicto-quill that was editing to Remus' commands fell down to the desk. Sirius got up from the plush leather chair behind the desk.

"I think that covers it, don't you?" Remus said proudly, looking up at his boyfriend, who was looking at him in a way that made him want to blush. "Now that we're done, I think you should go talk to Narcissa." This broke the spell slightly, and Sirius nodded.

"Trippy told me she was sleeping. I'll go talk to her when she wakes up," Sirius replied, getting up and scanning the list quickly from above Remus' shoulder. He wasn't worried. Moony was always thorough. Their SWOT was ready. Remus waved his wand, making several copies of the document, as Daniel had requested. Padfoot hugged him from behind and nuzzled Remus' neck.

"Love…" Sirius whispered. Seeing Remy in full academic mode turned him on a lot. It reminded him of their secret visits to the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts. Remus would try to study for OWLs, and Sirius would try his hardest to sidetrack him.

"Hmm…" Remus replied distractedly as he piled of all the drafts neatly.

"Since we are already making lists… How about we do the will, won't, maybe list…"

"You never stop, do you?" Remus chuckled.

"It's not my fault that you are so desirable," Sirius playfully nibbled on his boyfriend's ear. "I want you all the time. How hard do you think that is for me?"

Remus felt Sirius' trademark come hither sexy smirk against his skin. He wanted to have a productive afternoon, but he couldn't resist his man. "I know exactly how hard it is…"

"Touché…" Sirius replied, turning him around to kiss him hungrily.

Ianthe was sitting down on a bench in the garden, looking at her daughters who were playing with the rest of the kids. She felt horrible. Narcissa was not a woman she necessarily wanted to be friends with, but she hated feeling like she had caused her more harm. Clearly, it was a miracle Narcissa was even alive. She needed to apologize, but she didn't know how. Perhaps someone in the house could help her.

Martin had decided to go help the elves at the greenhouse. He found manual labor always helped him appease his emotions, especially anger. When he was done, he saw the children playing with a jump rope as Ianthe helped them count. He noticed Draco wasn't there. The witch seemed sad. Martin approached the bench, where she sat, with a tentative smile.

"May I join you?"

Ianthe nodded and slid to the side to make room for the man. She found it odd that a cleric was living at the Manor, but she was a guest. It wasn't her place to question the decisions of the Head of House. She could admit he was a good looking man, but her mind was somewhere else entirely.

"How are you feeling?" the man whispered, trying to keep the children from hearing their conversation.

"I don't' see how that is any of your business," Ianthe snapped back in a hurried whisper. "I don't even know you."

Martin smiled. He wouldn't be deterred. "Of course, pardon my manners, Lady Greengrass." The priest got up and bowed formally as Draco told him he should. "My name is Martin Shaw. I am a friend of… well, everyone here. As you can probably tell from my collar, I am a priest. I recently found out about magic, and this put a price on my head for the church, apparently. I know you have been recovering from something quite dreadful. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable by asking you how you feel. I meant physically. But I am very aware that you have no reason to talk to me. If you wish for me to leave, I can go…"

Ianthe blushed and shook his head. "No, I am sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I am still a bit shaken from my argument with Narcissa. I never meant to push her to that point. I didn't want to hurt her feelings. I had no idea she had been through all that. Since my husband was killed, things have been complicated, and I think I have become selfish in my own loss. Then my mother in law was murdered during my husband's funeral in front of my daughters and I. That is why I asked for the alliance. We were attacked in our home and barely made it out."

Martin sighed and sat back down. "I am very sorry for your loss. It must be challenging to transition to this new reality. Are your daughters doing okay.. for the circumstances?"

"As well as they can be expected. Daphne has the eye. She foretold her father's death. Astoria is doing better because she is younger and is not as aware of the entirety of what happened. Both have nightmares almost every night," Ianthe sighed. Her toddler was on a high chair, gurgling happily at her sister, who was jumping the rope that Harry and Hermione were moving for her.

"The eye?" the man blinked rapidly.

"It is a magical gift. Daphne is a seer. Seers predict future possibilities. Sometimes the prediction comes with significant time in advance. Other times, it is too late to do anything about it. That was what happened when her father was killed. Tobias was an Auror… he was killed on duty," Ianthe looked away.

"It must be a tough gift to live with at her age…" Martin sighed.

"You believe me?" she asked with surprise.

"Why not?" the priest shrugged.

"Well, you are a priest."

"We have prophets in catholicism, you know…"

"I guess…" she shrugged. She had no idea but saw no point in talking about that. "How well do you know Narcissa?"

"A bit. If you want to know how to make amends, I suggest you ask Sirius, Severus, or Emma. They would be more helpful than me," Martin offered with a smile.

"Thank you, I'll go look for them… Can you watch the kids?" Ianthe asked, standing up.

"Of course, I love jumping the rope," the man smiled then got up to play with the little ones.

"And they are aware of this?" a concerned Emma asked Severus.

"No. I haven't discussed this with anyone else yet. My memories were really muddled, and I have been working on organizing them and telling apart the implanted and the distorted from the true memories," Severus sighed.

"Do you think this prophecy is real?"

"Voldemort and Dumbledore did."

"The mind is a powerful thing. If you believe something is real… sometimes that is enough," Emma reasoned. Her mind echoed: Neither will live while the other survives. Her eyes teared up. "Oh no! My poor baby! Now I really understand why everyone talks about his future with a tone of impending doom…"

"Emma, I know it sounds like this is hopeless, but that is why we are building the alliance. We will all fight for Harry. We will prepare him… I know this is true for other people in this house, but I want you to know that if it comes to it, I will be willing to die for him," Severus squeezed the woman's hand.

"I know. Thank you, I won't tell Sirius or anyone else, but you have to do so, as soon as possible," the doctor sighed and dabbed her eyes with the back of her sleeve. "Let's go back to finding you, okay, Sev?"

He shrugged. "I may be too lost to be found, don't you think?"

"There is no such thing, hon. Do you want to know what I think?"

"Absolutely," he nodded rapidly.

"I think that the reason you say your feelings are different from before has nothing to do with your actual feelings changing and everything to do with you changing as a person," Emma took a deep breath but carried on before he protested. "You've been through a lot. Now that you are clean and away from Dumbledore's corrupting manipulations, you are bound to feel different than you did before. You have grown. You have had your heart broken. Your life is starting over. God, Magic, Merlin, or whatever you believe in granted you a clean slate. Run with it!" Emma stood and pulled him up. At his concerned face, she clarified. "I don't mean run in a literal sense. But some cardio would do wonders for you."

Severus chuckled with chagrin. Emma was right, as usual. He felt better when he exercised.

"Stop thinking that Narcissa will be repulsed by you. I think she cares for you. Truly. And after everything you have told me, how she was given to you as a reward," she spat that word. "And even under the influence of potions, spells, and mind magic, you did not harm her, and the thought of doing so disgusted you. An evil man who would have allowed the darkness in him to overrule his conscience and done terrible things to her. I really do believe that even when you weren't yourself, you were a good person at your core."

"You really think so?" Severus felt a stirring of hope. Perhaps redemption wasn't entirely impossible. Maybe he could still have some semblance of a normal life. He was still confused, but talking to Emma made him feel less lost.

"I do." Emma took both of his hands and looked deep into Severus' eyes. "Don't pressure yourself to give a name to your feelings. Just allow yourself to feel them. Explore this new Severus Snape and open your heart a bit. You may or may not get hurt… If you do, I'll be there with ice cream, inappropriate jokes, and lots of alcohol to make you feel better. If you don't get hurt, Dan and I would love to go on double dates!"

Severus chuckled and did something he had never done before. He pulled Emma in and hugged her tightly, albeit awkwardly. "You are an incredible person, Emma. Thank you… For helping me get healthy, for being so thoughtful and kind, and for listening to me without judging me. Meeting you has been one of the happiest coincidences of my life."

Her muffled reply was, "Awwwww! That is so sweet! I am thrilled to know you too." Emma pulled away to look at the man's face. "Now, when it comes to Narcissa… I think you need to be patient. Listen to her words but also pay attention to her body language. She has been through a lot too. But if she allowed you to hug her like that, I think she feels safe with you. I think she trusts you. You are Draco's godfather…"

"I just don't want to ruin things with her like I did with Lily… especially since I'm not even sure what I feel…" he sighed.

"Well then… figure it out and make sure you are steadfast in your feelings before you tell her. She has a lot of healing to do, and don't blame her if she -like you- is hesitant of pretty much everything. She's probably scared…"

"I just want her to be okay… to be happy and safe," Snape shrugged, looking down.

"And that is what she needs right now… Be there for her. Let her pace your interactions. I am sure that if she's sure she can count on you, that will help her heal. Okay?" Emma smiled.

He nodded. "Okay."

"Now, let me show you the list that Dan and I created," Emma handed him a paper with a table filled with information. "It's for coming to an agreement with the alliance. After you two left, everyone kind of gave a piece of their mind to Ianthe. Now, all families are writing their own. You should talk to your mom and create the Snape Family SWOT," Emma pointed to the columns at his lifted brow. "See? For the first letter of each column… If you prefer, I can speak to Narcissa so you can talk to Eileen and get started," Emma offered.

"Thank you. Emma…"

"I'm not saying anything to Cissa. Don't worry. Both of you are my friends. But you need to understand that she confides in me and asks me not to tell you something, I will give her the same courtesy," Emma explained.

"I'm your friend?" Severus' mouth was hanging open in surprise.

"Of course you are, honey, why?" Emma asked, tilting her head.

"No reason," Snape said, pulling her in for another hug.

Emma squeezed him hard with a smile on her face. The poor man thought it so unlikely that he was worthy of friendship. No wonder being worthy of love was such a foreign concept to him. Severus melted into the doctor's arms. Hers was the kind of hug that mends hearts. His Lily hugged like that too. At that moment, he felt like Lily Jade was somehow responsible for him meeting Emma and for her befriending him. He whispered a soft Thank you both to Lily and to Emma. The doctor let go with a smile. She turned to pick up her cup and bring it to the kitchen, but an elf had already taken care of it. Those little helpers were too efficient for their own good. She walked away towards Narcissa's room

Knock, knock, knock.

Narcissa untangled herself from her son without waking him and walked to her door with hesitation. Was it Severus? She took a deep breath to steady herself. She was already blushing.

"Yes?" she whispered as she opened the door. It was Emma. Thank Merlin! She thought.

"Hey, there…"

"I am so ashamed Emma, I can't even look at you…" Narcissa said, looking down. She was sure everyone was quite cross at her for acting like a brat.

"What? Why?"

"My outburst was-"

"Justified," Emma interrupted her with a smile. Narcissa gaped at her. "Calling her a bitch was a bit much, though… Can we talk?"

"Yes, just let me do a spell, so we don't wake Drakey," Narcissa smiled tentatively. She went into the room and waved her wand so that her boy would sleep peacefully. She motioned for Emma to come inside. They went to sit outside in the balcony.

"Narcissa, we are friends, right?" Emma asked. She wanted to make sure the witch was clear on this since Severus was so surprised.

"Um… I-I hope so," Narcissa replied uncertainly.

"You magical folk need things in writing, huh?"

"What? Why?"

"Nevermind. I just realized that I should have been clearer to you. I consider us friends, and I am glad you feel the same," Emma took her friend's hand. "I wanted to hug you back in the Library, but I felt you were too angry to receive it well… and rightfully so from what I have been told about the Greengrass family's neutrality and all its consequences… Anyways, you left with Severus and neither of you came back, so I figured he was talking to you. I thought that I would wait to see if you wanted to talk to me too. Now, I am not here to make you say anything to me… You are entitled to your privacy. However, I want you to know that I am always there if you want to talk and that no one thinks ill of you for your outburst."

"We didn't talk much…" Narcissa said in a voice just above a whisper.

"What was that?" Emma did hear her, but she was wanted clarity.

"Severus and I… I um… I wasn't really able to talk. As soon as I got here, I just collapsed and cried. He just closed the door behind us and put his hand on my shoulder. H-He's never been good with crying people…" Narcissa chuckled sadly. "I really thought he would just say something quick and leave as soon as he could…"

"And?" Emma asked with interest.

"He didn't. I still can't explain what happened. He sat down with me… like on the floor… and he… he h-held me," Narcissa was blushing furiously.

"He didn't say anything at all?"

"He said Ianthe was out of line and that he was sorry I was so affected by her words…"

"And then?"

"And he sort of just stayed there while I cried… Then when I stopped crying, I thought he would leave right away, but he never did… I mean, not until after…"

"After what?" Emma was trying to keep her voice neutral.

"Emma… Am I weird?"

"Weird how?" Emma crossed her arms.

Narcissa sighed. "Any woman would have been happy to have a good man support her through a bad day… Right?"

"And you weren't?"

"I didn't even know what to do. Once I stopped crying, I realized how intimate the position we were in really was and… I froze. Sev was super still and calm and I was freaking out! He didn't do anything remotely untoward. He just rubbed my upper back up and down to calm me and caressed my hair. He's a gentleman," Narcissa smiled despite herself. Emma smiled proudly and thought, Yes, he is! Eileen raised him right! Lily taught him right! And I will be damn sure to add to that, Emma thought.

"But? Because there is a but coming, right?"

"But the entire time he was being kindness personified, I was losing it! Why am I so ruined?" Narcissa said with exasperation.

"No, no, no, no, no, Cissa. Hold your horses! You are NOT ruined. This is not the 1800s! You are a woman who is going through a rough time. You have been through so much that no one would blame you for freaking out…" Emma said, patting the witch's hand. "Look, language has power. If you say you are ruined enough times, your brain will start thinking that you really are ruined, and it's all downhill from there, sugar."

"That's just it! I don't want to be my past! I want to be someone on my own right! I don't want to be a poor woman who survived her sicko husband and his twisted friends!" Narcissa began pacing. "I don't want people to pity me. I got angry because Ianthe was selfish in her suffering, but then I did the exact same thing! The worse part is that I want to see beyond the trauma myself! But when I look in the mirror, at this unsightly scars, all I see is Lucius and the whore he wanted me to be!" tears fell down Narcissa's scarred face.

Emma really wanted to take a metal bat to that bastard 's face. She would try to take Cissa to a plastic surgeon as soon as possible. The doctor nodded in understanding. "That waste of space of a husband does not get to win. If you allow your past to mess with your current reality, you will end up losing opportunities to be happy and fulfilled. You want people to see just you. I get that. And you know what? I think Severus sees just you…"

"But I don't… I keep seeing my ex-husband smirking at how hideous I am without the charms and makeup… And then he goes and casts Draco out to add insult to injury and just for the pleasure he gets from hurting us… When I was sitting with Severus, I felt unworthy of his care and his concern. He is a good man. Good men, in my experience, are a dying breed. I am so inept at dealing with male kindness that I just pretended I fell asleep so I would not have to face him."

"Wait a minute… you faked you were asleep?" Emma blinked in rapid succession, trying to hide her mirth.

"Yes! Or well… I started pretending, but then I felt too cozy and warm, and I really did fall asleep. When I woke up for real, I was on my bed, under the covers, and Draco was sleeping next to me…" Narcissa smiled, blushing again.

"Cozy and warm, huh?" Emma lifted a teasing brow.

"Emma! I'm already embarrassed enough!"

Emma laughed. "I know, sugar, I'm sorry. I couldn't help it… You know what I think would help you right now?"

"What? A makeover!" Emma looked very excited at the prospect.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we go to a spa, get massages, mani-pedis, a facial… We can change your hair color, maybe give you a new haircut? Then we can go to a consult with a wonderful plastic surgeon I know…." Emma said all this with such a smile that Narcissa already felt convinced. She had no idea what most of those things were, though.

"I'd like that… I'm not sure about the surgeon…"

"Cissa, a consult doesn't mean you'll get anything done. It's just a meeting where the doc-the healer will just examine you and explain the things he could do to help with the scars and such… He's really wonderful. If you decide you don't want to get anything done, we'll just pay for the consult and leave, I promise," Emma smiled encouragingly at her friend.

"Okay, can it be just us?"

"Sure, no problem. That was the idea. Now, the reason I'm here… other than to make sure you are okay… is to explain the agreement we reached for the next meeting…"

Hermione laughed as Father Martin tried to catch his breath and made funny faces. Harry and Daphne were trying hard to make the man lose. Eventually, he did. But it took a lot of effort. He was in great shape. When he did touch the rope and fall, he ended up on the ground, dusty, and his hair got messy. The kids laughed after making sure he wasn't hurt. Harry and Daphne were taking care of the rope to put it away, and Hermione approached the man.

"Father?" Hermione asked once he sat back down on the bench.

"Yes?"

"Can you help me convince my dad to stop working at the hospital?" she pouted.

"Why?"

"I don't want him to get hurt again…" she said, resting her head on the man's arm.

Martin felt a pang of guilt. Daniel had been avoiding him. He had tried to apologize. Daniel had waved him off and walked away. He also had to find out who was behind the attack. Sirius said he would check the briefcase for spells before they opened it. The letters that Daniel had taken were in it. "I'll try to talk to him, Okay? But I'm not making any promises."

The girl looked up to the man and smiled. "Thank you, father."

Daniel was a bit paranoid. His wife's handgun was strapped to his ankle. His favorite knives were in a hidden belt around his waist. Thankfully, scrubs were a bit loose. Neesy told him to be careful and hugged his leg. She was clearly not happy to be back near where she was attacked. She had popped them into the garage. Once the insurance company had given them the money to replace the car, Daniel did so right away. Now, he would leave from his former home that was about to be finished. He gave builders a schedule so they would never be there when he popped in with Neesy. He thanked the elf, kissed her forehead, and got in his new car. He sighed. He wished he could drive it more. Emma decided she didn't want to get her own car. She rarely needed to leave the house, and when she did, anyone in the house could apparate her. They agreed to keep one car just in case they needed it.

The doctor kept looking around at every red light and stop sign. He would look behind him through his rearview mirror often. He checked the car all over before he even got in. Once he got to the hospital, he felt a bit better. There were cameras everywhere, and security was tight. He threw himself into his work. He didn't want to think about the attack. Emma had tried to talk to him about it, but he refused. He didn't want to worry her. He had heard very concerning things. Emma would want him to leave his job, at least for a while. He couldn't.

Daniel loved being a doctor, and he had patients who counted on him, especially since he took on most of his wife's patients while she got a space for the clinic and hired the necessary staff. Daniel insisted that wherever she rented had to be very safe. He wanted all the latest security: cameras, motion sensors for nighttime, emergency exits, a panic room, etc. She agreed to hire a guard and a secretary (preferably one trained on self-defense, just in case). She was looking for a good place, but so far, she hadn't found one with all the security features they wanted. Emma would not give up. Safety was paramount. Now that she had heard the prophecy, she was particularly as into security as her husband. This made her more adamant to bring electricity back to the manor. Daniel promised to help her out. They would get both electricity and the internet in the house if it was the last thing they did.

Sirius said that there was probably a Potter manual somewhere, so Emma asked Hermione, who was ecstatic to have an excuse to spend more time in the library, to help them find it. Emma asked her to find books on electricity or anything that said Potter Manual or Guide. The little girl recruited her friends. She too missed electricity. Candles made rooms stuffy and too warm sometimes. She didn't miss the telly, neither did Harry.

Emma asked Narcissa to help them. With the two women, who read much faster, they advanced quicker. Narcissa tried summoning the book, but it wouldn't respond. They had asked Sirius who chuckled and said that it sounded like something Lily would do. She was, after all, an honorary Marauder, and she would find it hilarious that witches and wizards wouldn't be able to summon a book on something which was entirely muggle. Sirius, in turn, wrote to Sharptooth to request an audit of the items in the main Potter Vault as well as on Harry's smaller school vault. Perhaps the books they needed were there.

Ianthe found a giddy Sirius in the study. Remus had just left to get some snacks. They had worked up quite an appetite. Sirius had opened the windows to air out the room. A knock brought him back to reality.

"Come in."

"Lord Black," Ianthe bowed.

"Lady Greengrass," Sirius frowned at her bowing. Formal greetings introduced serious topics, no pun intended. He was a bit miffed at her for upsetting Cissa.

"I am here to apologize to you as the Head of House Black and House Potter. I realize my behavior was inexcusable and unbecoming of a Head of House. My family and I are in your debt for your kindness in protecting us and allowing us to live here in our time of need."

"I appreciate the gesture, Lady Greengrass, but you need to apologize to Narcissa, not to me," Sirius replied, motioning for her to sit.

"I know, milord. That is why I'm here. I don't really know her, and I fear that I may upset her further when I apologize if I say the wrong thing…" the woman seemed genuinely conflicted.

"Look, Ianthe, Cissa has been through a lot, as you now know. I may be wrong in telling you this, and I ask you to please NOT tell her I disclosed this to you…" he sighed. "I just want you to understand why you can get under her skin so quickly…"

"I won't say a word. Any information you give me which is private will not leave this room. You have my word," Ianthe said in a solemn tone.

"You recall she said she married Lucius because the man she loved married someone else…"

"Yes, I was astonished. I always thought Narcissa either fell in love with her husband or had an arranged marriage," Ianthe shrugged.

"No. Cissa was in love with someone else, but she knew the Head of House Black at the time would not accept that man. You see, his House had never shown their loyalties to any side. To my father and grandfather, you were either a Black blood-purity supremacist aligned to the Dark wizard du jour, or you weren't worthy of being a Black at all. The family motto is Toujours Pur," Sirius said with a sigh. Ianthe looked a bit disgusted at the motto. Her family came from France and she understood and spoke the language. "I know. It's sick. I have decided to change it back to the original which was Famille Avant Tout."

Ianthe smiled and nodded. That was a much better motto. Her curiosity was piquing. Who was the man Narcissa had loved so much? "Would she have been cast out had she married the man she loved?"

"That's nothing! My cousin Andromeda was a healer and an all-around wonderful daughter and person. But she made the mistake of falling in love with a muggle. The Head of House, our grandfather at the time, cast her out and snapped her wand," Sirius said with an angry tone.

Ianthe paled. Once your Head of House broke your wand in that ritual, you couldn't use magic ever again… "Morgana! How cruel!"

"Yes, I have been researching whether I can undo that as current Head of House. Gringotts has been helping me look into it… But Andy loved Ted too much. My grandfather thought he could bully her into giving up her fiancé. But all he accomplished was for her to give up magic for love."

"Are they still together?" Ianthe asked with trepidation. She really hoped so.

"Oh, yes! They adore each other. It's almost too sweet. Andy doesn't regret it. But when she lost her magic, she also lost her job as a healer," he explained. "Narcissa knew she would get the same treatment…."

"He must have been worth it…" Ianthe sighed. She was a romantic at heart.

"Absolutely. But Andy has always been a brave woman with a rebellious streak. Narcissa was much more… meek. She wasn't strong enough to fight her family back then, and the idea of losing the comfortable life she had terrified her. When my grandfather and her father asked her who she wanted to marry, and she said Tobias, they went rabid."

Ianthe gasped. Her hands began to shake. "M-My Tobias?"

"Yes, Ianthe, your Tobias. For my grandfather and father, being neutral was almost worse than being Light. They saw neutrals as cowardly, indecisive people who didn't take a stand… Ianthe, Narcissa sees you as having had the life she could have had. It gets under her skin. She can't help it. She has always been jealous of you. Tobias' death hurt her a lot. She is actually certain Malfoy killed him out of pettiness because he knew Narcissa loved Tobias more than she could have ever loved Lucius, had he not been such an abusive piece of shit," Sirius took a deep breath to calm down. "I know this may make things awkward, but I think it is important that you know. Her blowing up wasn't just about the alliance."

Ianthe sat there without speaking or moving for a while as she took slow breaths to process the information. "Thank you for telling me, Sirius. I had no clue. I understand a lot more now. I will talk to her and apologize for well… everything, I guess."

"Don't mention Tobias. That would do more harm than good, I assure you," he warned. "They were together in Hogwarts. It was long before he met and married you. Her brain knows you have no blame in her misfortune, but you and I know that the heart is not so objective," Sirius offered a small smile.

"Of course. Don't worry. I just hope she doesn't attack me."

"Would you want me to be there with you?" Sirius offered.

"No, perhaps just wait outside. You know my core is still weak."

"I do. Trippy!" Sirius said.

The elf popped next to him. He was dusty and wearing a funny construction hat and an overall with tools around his waist. "Yes, master?"

"Please tell Remus to get started eating, I have to talk to Narcissa for a while," Sirius looked at the tools with confusion.

"Of course, master," Trippy nodded.

"What are you doing, Trippy?"

"Oh, we is working on the treehouse."

"How is it going?"

"Good, master. We is happy to have our own place," Trippy smiled so widely that his face looked funny.

"I am glad to hear it. Tell Neesy and Jonsy that I expect a new list of materials as soon as you need more, okay?"

Trippy's ears flapped as he nodded with enthusiasm, "Yes, master." He popped away.

"After you," Sirius said, holding the door open for Ianthe. "I'll go in to talk to her first. I was told she was sleeping. After all, Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus…"

Ianthe's eyes widened in concern, but once Sirius laughed, she felt better. His was a particular way of being sarcastic.

"Your list is looking great, Cissa," Emma said with a smile. Draco had woken and gone downstairs as soon as he saw Martin sitting alone on a bench.

"I think so too. I believe I will join mine to Sirius'. After all, we are both Blacks," Narcissa smiled. She felt a lot better. Emma's presence was so calming. She was also happy that the doctor never stared at her scars.

"Cissa, I think Ianthe will probably come to talk to you…"

"I know. It is bound to happen. But I am feeling much better thanks to you… and to Sev," Narcissa shrugged.

"I know it is hard for you to see her as more than the woman who got your first love…" Emma sighed. Narcissa had told her about Tobias and her marriage as they talked. "But do consider that both of you loved and lost him. He is gone. I think your love for him should be a bond, not a barrier."

"You are right. Toby is d-dead. She is a widow. I am divorced. We are both starting over."

"Think of how uncomfortable she must feel. She went from being a rich homeowner with a loving husband to a widow forced from her home who is living with distant acquaintances so she and her daughters can be safe…" Emma said slowly. "It is a stark change. Her family was neutral for generations. I think it must be difficult for her to take a stand. She probably feels like she is betraying her family and all they stood for… When you talk to her, Cissa, take a few deep breaths and remember that we need to listen to understand, not to respond."

"What do you mean?"

"Most people listen to someone, so they can respond to what that person is saying. When you listen so you can understand them and where they are coming from, even if you disagree, you are going to respond in a more positive, less hurtful way…"

Narcissa smiled. Emma did that all the time. "So that is your secret?"

"It's a tool. I learned it in therapy. I really think you and Draco could benefit from that," Emma pressed.

"I am willing to try. I will ask Sharptooth to send me some pounds so I can pay for it. Just tell me what I need to do," Narcissa gave in.

Emma clapped happily. "Yes! I am proud of you for taking this first step. I swear you won't regret it. I will make arrangements for you and your son. What do you think about inviting Andy for our little outing?"

"I would love that," Narcissa got up as there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get going, gorgeous," Emma hugged her. "I have a few appointments to make."

Narcissa walked her to the door and was greeted by a smiley Sirius. Ianthe stood a few steps behind him. Emma quickly decreased awkwardness by asking Sirius about the construction of the treehouse. She quickly nodded to Ianthe with a small encouraging smile and left.

"Doll, Ianthe would like to have a word with you, but I want to talk to you first. Is that alright?" Sirius asked, holding one of her hands. She nodded, pointedly avoiding to look at Ianthe.

They closed the door and applied a silencing spell. Narcissa hugged Sirius and sighed.

"I am sorry. I know my behavior was unbecoming of House Black. Please forgive my outburst," Narcissa said this quickly.

"Doll, none of that. I am not your father… nor mine," he grimaced at the thought. "You get to have feelings and to blow up. We are a family here…" he chuckled. "Perhaps a dysfunctional family, but still."

Narcissa chuckled as well. "You know, Emma just convinced me to go to therapy."

"She did? That's great! Is Draco going to join you?"

"Yes, of course. Emma said she would set everything up," Narcissa smiled.

"That woman is a goddess. She reminds me of Lily. Thank Merlin she's here!" Sirius smiled. They sat down in the balcony.

"She is a wonderful friend. So is Sev…"

"I haven't seen him… did he help you calm down earlier?"

"Yes… He was very kind."

"I am glad to hear that. Severus cares about you a lot. I have never seen him respond so quickly to anyone else's distress."

Narcissa blushed. "I know."

"I was going to go after you, but I figured you needed to calm down first."

"I did. Sev calmed me down. When he left, I was asleep."

"Good. I think you needed the rest… Cissa, Ianthe came to see me to apologize. I told her she needed to talk to you, not me. She said she knew that, but since she doesn't know you, she wanted me to guide her on how not to offend you. She is not mean spirited, doll. I want you to consider that while you have suffered significantly longer and differently, her life hasn't been a walk in the park lately either."

"I know. She just vexes me…"

"I know, doll. I just want you to try to reign in your feelings a bit when she comes in. You are both hurting. I think you could actually be friends one day. You are both beautiful, poised, elegant witches with a lot of things in common. You even have the same taste in men," Sirius winked. Narcissa swatted at his head. "Too soon?" he asked.

"Yes, way too soon, you dolt," Narcissa laughed despite herself. She took a deep breath. "I am ready to talk to her now."

"Great," Sirius kissed her forehead. "I'll go send her in."

"Wait," Narcissa grabbed her list and handed it to him, "My SWOT. I figured that we can have one Black SWOT."

"Of course, I'll go over it with Remy," Sirius went out and invited Ianthe in. The woman was nervous. He winked, smiled, and mouthed: You'll be fine.

"Come in, Lady Greengrass," Narcissa called her from the balcony. She was seeing how Martin was throwing the kids up and making them "fly." Draco's carefree laughter warmed her heart.

"Thank you for talking to me," Ianthe began.

Both witches fidgeted and said simultaneously, "I'm so sorry!"

They looked at each other's eyes and the sincerity there and laughed good-naturedly.

"Narcissa, I should have never made assumptions about you. You are a warrior and a survivor, and you have many reasons to be proud. You have gone through a lot, and you are still willing to keep fighting for what you believe in, I respect that."

"Thank you. I… I want to apologize for more than just what happened earlier. I have been holding a stupid grudge against you for something… that is no longer important. I just want you to know that I will be working on letting that go. It may take a while, but I will push until I get there," Narcissa smiled tentatively.

Ianthe nodded. "I appreciate that. I really never expected you to apologize because I was the one who hurt you."

"I said some unkind things too. I should have never called you a bitch," Narcissa blushed.

Ianthe noticed Narcissa said unkind but not untrue. Lady Greengrass mused that was probably accurate. "It's alright. I have been called worse…"

"You have?"

"At Hogwarts… I was a bit of a Charms prodigy, a bookworm, and people teased me horribly for that," Ianthe shrugged.

"Children can be cruel creatures," Narcissa sighed.

"True. Now that we are talking, I wanted to thank you for looking after my girls while I was recovering. It meant everything to me to know that they had not one but two mothers taking care of them. They told me you would read them stories and make sure they were okay often," Ianthe smiled.

"It is no trouble. Your girls are adorable. I was glad to help them," Narcissa smiled at Father Martin, who was wiping his sweaty brow downstairs. He waved at her. Draco pulled on the man's pant leg. He crouched, and the boy said something to him. The man smiled and took Draco's hand. The boy pulled him towards the greenhouse.

"I don't know if there is something I can do to help you or help around here now that I am feeling a bit better, but I would like to pull my own weight while I get my own place," Ianthe said this in as neutral a tone as she could muster.

"You should talk to Emma or Sirius about that. They are the ones who hand out tasks for people to do… Off the top of my head, we're trying to help Emma reinstall elec-electricity in the manor. I think that's what it's called. It's a muggle form of energy. Apparently, the manor had it at some point, but somehow it no longer works," Narcissa shrugged.

Ianthe looked a bit puzzled. What even was electricity? "I will ask them… Narcissa?"

"Yes?"

"I don't mean to step on any boundaries, but… I… My family has created many spells that have only ever been used by us," Ianthe said.

"Okay…" Narcissa said slowly, not knowing what to expect.

"About twenty years ago, my mother in law worked on a special spell. She designed it because a dear friend of hers had an accident at work. He was a Dragon Master. He got most of the skin on his face severely burnt…"

Narcissa blinked rapidly, a bit perplexed. It dawned on her. Her burns of shame. She looked down.

Ianthe continued, "I could apply the spell to your forehead. It may not do a lot because it's been a while, but if it doesn't help, it will not hurt you. You will only feel like a refreshing gust of wind is hitting your skin… I understand if you don't trust me to do it, but I could teach someone you trust so they can do it. I don't recommend you do it to yourself because you would have to use a mirror, and the spell needs precise application."

"You think it could help me?" Narcissa felt a bit of hope.

"I do. Most importantly, it will not harm you," Ianthe smiled.

"Do it."

"Are you sure?" Ianthe was surprised that the woman was willing to trust her.

"You are a Charms prodigy. Who better to apply such a spell?" Narcissa straightened her back and closed her eyes.

Ianthe took out her wand and began moving it in intricate patterns, muttering an incantation in Latin. The angry, red, bulging, wrinkled skin that read "LM" began to flatten and turn to the tone of the rest of her skin. Ianthe started to feel really tired from the moment she started the process, but she pushed through until the skin looked almost pristine. There was still some texture, as she was trying hard to perfect it, she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen, and her knees gave out, "Argh!"

Narcissa knelt down next to her. "What is it? What happened? Are you alright?"

"I may h-have overtaxed my c-core… It still isn't s-strong enough for c-complex magic like this. I will teach someone else so they can finish the job," Ianthe panted.

"Can I get you a potion or something?" Narcissa was scared. Mending cores were unstable and delicate.

"No, I will be fine as long as I don't use magic… What you can do is go look at yourself in the mirror… I think you will agree it is a promising start," Ianthe smiled weakly. Narcissa wrapped her arm around the other witch's waist to help her up and to take her inside to sit on the bed. Once she was sure Ianthe wouldn't fall over, she went over to her mirror and screamed in shock.

Sirius ran inside with his wand out. "Cissa, what happened? Ianthe? Have you been fight-?"

Narcissa turned so Sirius could see her face. "No glamours."

He looked at her forehead in awe. "What just happened?"

"Ianthe used a Greengrass Grimoire spell on me… It's almost gone!" Narcissa pointed at her forehead.

Ianthe was panting but said, "A few more s-seconds and it should look like n-nothing happened. I can t-teach you or your b-boyfriend… I had to s-stop because it takes q-quite a bit of core strength that I don't have right now."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Narcissa hugged Ianthe carefully. "You have no idea what this means to me!"

"He doesn't get to win. Ever. No abuser should. Now, if you t-two don't mind, I need a few p-potions and my bed…" Ianthe yawned. "Please tell my girls I had to lie down."

"Of course, Jonsy," Sirius called. The grumpy elf appeared and instantly frowned, looking at the state of his mistress. "Your mistress is really tired. Please give her all her potions and put her to bed so she can rest and recover."

"Yes, master," Jonsy popped away with Ianthe.

"I can't believe she could do this!" Narcissa smiled wider than Sirius remembered her doing.

"You look radiant. It's not because of the physical change… You just look really happy," her cousin smiled.

"I am really happy! I need to show this to Draco! And to Sev! And to Emma!" Narcissa was ecstatic. She knew she still had other scars, but not having a reminder of Lucius' abuse was a great incentive to work on herself.

"Well, take my arm, gorgeous. You can show them while we have dinner."

"Are we going out?"

"Yes, we were going to celebrate your divorce and Draco's new name. We couldn't last time."

"Are we going to muggle London?"

"Yes, Dan says there is a fancy French place they like…"

"But then I have to change, cousin," Narcissa rushed to her closet.

Sirius chuckled. Women. "Fine, I'll go tell everyone. Can you be ready at 7 p.m.?"

"Yes, go, go! Uh! Tell Emma I need her, please," Narcissa was on her knees, looking at her shoes in confusion.

"Narcissa! Open up! Sirius told me! I want to see you!" Emma repeatedly knocked on her door.

Narcissa ran to let her friend in. Emma gaped at her forehead. She then crushed the blonde with a hug.

"My God! You look wonderful! I know how much this means to you. Ianthe is really talented," Emma pulled away and smiled with teary eyes. "Have you two buried the hatchet?"

"Yes, we have apologized to each other… Sirius is right. We have more in common than I thought. Her doing this for me after our fight and when she isn't strong enough to do so told me everything I need to know about her."

"That is great! Now tell me, how can I help you?"

"What do you wear with a little black dress?"

Emma squealed. Dressing people up was one of her favorite things to do. She grabbed the dress, Narcissa's hand, and left almost skipping towards her bedroom. She would make sure that Narcissa looked drop-dead gorgeous in about an hour. Tonight would be a night to remember.

A/N: Thank you for reading! What a week! This was longer than usual, but I needed to set the stage for the following Chappies. I will end this probably in Chapter 35. The next story will be a continuation of this with the kids at Hogwarts and their adventures for those who are wondering. Thank you for the reviews and comments. I am glad this story has resonated with you. Oh, and thank you for your good wishes regarding my back. I got a gamer chair and that has helped a lot. I am going to therapy 1-2 times a week and doing a long set of stretches twice a day. I am getting to the end of the semester at the university so my chances to upload during this coming month will be slim. I will try, though. FYI, once I am done with this story and before I begin to post the next part, I will be going back through this one to fix a few typos and such so if you get notifications about chapters being uploaded, that will be why. :) Thank you for the favorites and follows, they brighten my days. -Lux-