Controlling the fallout while also being responsible for Amalthea was no easy feat. Harry stole a few house-elves from Malfoy Manor and put one in charge of Amalthea, another charge of Lily's care and the third in charge of the house, which included keeping Lily and Pollux fed.

Pollux stayed by Tom's side, monitoring him for any improvement and reporting any changes – good or bad to Harry.

Meanwhile, Harry managed the fallout just as Pollux and Gus had instructed.

All the same, sitting at the head of the table in Malfoy Manor felt as odd as it did exhilarating. He supposed he should have felt some nerves as a room full of Death Eaters all looked at him expectantly.

"We lost people in the battle," Harry began, "And the next week is going to be hard, we all know that. We have friends to bury, brothers, fathers."

Draco was absent because he was still in the hospital wing, but Blaise was here, and he had lost his father.

"There will be funerals to arrange, goodbyes will have to be said," Harry continued, "And some of us have to be on hand for our brothers whose lives had changed on account of the injuries they received in the battle."

There were some nods around the table.

"But," Harry said, lifting the sombre mood a little, "We won. This war is over; the light – if anything is truly left of them – have surrendered. We have complete, legitimate control over this country, and we need to act now to keep that before someone tries to use this moment of weakness to yank it out from beneath us."

There were some murmurs of agreement around the table.

"Corban," Harry said, addressing Yaxley, "Is the Ministry secure?"

"Yes," Yaxley replied, "We ensured it after the attack. The Auror Department is sorely depleted, but we have enough men to function, at least temporarily. We have also driven out all the militant light members with the potential to attack from within."

"Good," Harry said with a nod, "Have you issued a statement to the Daily Prophet yet?"

"No," Yaxley replied.

"You need to get on that as soon as possible," Harry ordered, "It needs to be headline news that we were attacked. That part must be clear; the Army and the Order of the Phoenix combined their forces and drew us into a trap, attacking our undefended homes. We defended ourselves and drove them out, leading to their final and ultimate surrender."

Yaxley was scribbling all of this down as Harry spoke.

"The Dark Lord was injured and is recuperating at his family home, but he will recover shortly," Harry continued. That part was a lie, but it was a necessary risk, and Gus, who knew the whole truth, could clearly understand that because he gave Harry an approving nod.

"Make sure that you get Snape's name into that article," Harry added, "The Headmaster of the school breached this house to try and murder a two-month-old child. That is something the wizarding world ought to know."

Yaxley nodded and rolled up the parchment, "It will be headline news tomorrow morning," he promised.

Harry leant forward in his chair, resting his elbows on the table. He was about to move onto the next act of business when a hiss distracted him.

He looked down at Nagini, but he couldn't understand her hissing at first, which confused him. Usually, her words just popped straight into his head, after all. A thought flitted through his head – what if he couldn't speak parseltongue anymore? What if f that had died with the part of Tom's soul inside him?

Nagini looked him in the eye and hissed again. I said – can I eat?

Harry breathed a sigh of relief and maintained eye contact. So he could still hear and speak parseltongue, but it required a little more effort.

Not yet. The prisoners need to be questioned first.

He looked back up at the Death Eaters and continued, "Hogwarts is the next order of business. In Snape's absence, McGonagall has stepped up to lead the school. This is a temporary measure, of course, but one I feel comfortable with. After all, McGonagall has had plenty of chances to attack or sell us out, and she never has. Whether she is an ally or simply someone who does not wish to take a stand, she is most certainly a capable Headmistress."

Some of the others nodded, and a few more grumbled.

"We are also down an Offensive magic professor, a Head Boy and a Head Girl," Harry mused, "Offensive Magic class can be suspended. Bill, I am sure you could combine the two in your class?"

"Of course," Bill answered.

"But a temporary Head Boy and Girl must be selected to avoid complete chaos breaking out across the school," Harry said, looking around the table, "I will not be returning to school, and Lilith has a long recovery ahead of her, after all."

"With all due respect," Blaise said, leaning forward, "I won't be returning either. Upon my father's death, I have family affairs to settle. Once I have seen to them, I will take my N.E.W.T's at the ministry."

Harry nodded and looked at the remaining Death Eaters who were of 'school' age.

"Then I would put forward Neville Longbottom and Susan Bones," He said simply.

Neville frowned and signed, " Me? But I cannot communicate that well."

Harry smiled slightly, " Not with words. But actions do speak louder, sometimes."

Neville chuckled and nodded.

Harry looked at Susan, "Do you oblige?"

"Of course," Susan replied diplomatically.

"Then it is settled," Harry said, "Hogwarts will carry on as normal, albeit it with a severely depleted seventh year. The ministry will carry on as normal, and the Daily Prophet will issue the statement as soon as possible. The wizarding world will carry on, under our rule, and when the Dark Lord recovers, we will enact the changes required to see some true changes."

A small round of applause broke out, which Harry didn't feel he deserved. He smiled and thanked them anyway before breaking up the meeting and dismissing the rest of the Death Eaters.

When Harry walked into the hospital wing later that day, he was glad to see Draco awake even though it was getting late.

"Hey," He said, dropping down next to Draco's bed.

Draco looked up, "Don't you have a country to run?"

"The country can wait," Harry said, giving Draco a half-hearted smile.

"I don't think that's how it works," Draco pointed out dryly.

"My brother's in hospital – that's how it works," Harry assured him, casting his eyes over Draco anxiously.

Draco sighed, "I'm fine. I won't even lose my sight or whatever, so you don't have to sit here-"

"Yeah, you're fine physically," Harry agreed, "But your father died last night, Draco, so no, you aren't fine."

"I don't care, Harry," Draco said coldly, "About anything. All I can think about is killing Snape for what he did."

"And you will, in due time," Harry promised, "Save it for the full moon when you're fully recovered, and we've said goodbye to your father."

Draco's eyes flashed darkly, but he didn't say anything.

"We won, Draco," Harry said quietly, "The war? It's over. The light is finished. We did it ."

"At what cost?" Draco asked sharply, his eyes meeting Harry's.

Harry knew what he meant – he could read the subtext – it wasn't just about Lucius; it was about him. What had the cost been for him? Truthfully, Harry didn't know.

With a sigh, Harry glanced around, "Where's Sadie?"

"I don't know," Draco drawled, "And I don't really care either."

"Draco, I know you're upset, but pushing Sadie away isn't going to make this any-"

"Stop pushing," Draco said irritably, "My father is dead, and I wish I couldn't feel it. I wish I could feel anything apart from this constant pain in my chest! How can I look her in the eye when I know I treated her like shit when she felt like this?"

Harry paused, "Well…I understand that but-"

"There is no but, there is no upside to this!" Draco snapped, "I will be fine once I've killed Snape. Until then, just leave me alone."

Harry knew he would get nowhere with Draco when he was in this mood, so he got to his feet and sighed, "Fine," he said, leaving the room without another word to his best friend.

"Uncle Julian, can I stay here for a while?"

"Of course you can," Julian said, without looking up from the Daily Prophet – the article about the "Battle of Malfoy Manor" splashed across the front page.

Daphne hadn't left Crouch House yet. She had sent her parents a message to let them know that she was okay, but beyond that, Daphne hadn't contacted them because she knew when she did, Lydia's name would come up, and Daphne wanted to have that conversation face to face.

"What are you going to do in the long-term?" Daphne asked her sister.

Lydia sighed and looked up, "I don't know," she replied honestly, "I suppose part of me wishes that Father will just re-instate me now that Lee…" she shook her head.

Daphne bit her lip, "Lydia…I don't think Father can re-instate you."

With a frown, Lydia caught her sister's eye, "What do you mean?"

"Well…I don't think he disowned you," Daphne admitted.

"Daphne," Julian cautioned.

"No, Uncle Julian, she deserves to know the truth," Daphne said firmly.

"If it is true," Julian pointed out.

"If you are talking about what I think you are, then I already suspect," Lydia said, looking between them, "I was a Ravenclaw, remember? I'm perceptive; I pick up on the little details, like the fact I was conceived while Mother was in school and that Father is ten years older than her."

Daphne nodded, "But it doesn't have to mean anything, Lydia. You were born early, so probably conceived in January. Mother and Father could have spent the Solstice together and indulged in some things that they shouldn't have done."

"I wonder who would do such a dishonourable thing," Lydia said airily.

"You got pregnant in school; you don't get to judge me!"

"Girls," Julian cut in, "While I disapprove of any teenage girls having sex – particularly ones that are under my care, I am aware that it happens. If you think that I believe Katherine will marry into her triad with her virtue intact, then you must think me exceptionally dim."

Lydia and Daphne both snorted or chuckled at that.

"And if you think I did not know the moment I saw icicles shoot out of Harry Potter's hand like it was nothing, that he had partaken in a premature ritual with my niece, then you are also mistaken," Julian continued.

He looked between them, "But Lydia – Daphne is also right; you did get pregnant in school, and so did your mother."

This made Lydia look over at him, "Do you know something?"

Julian shook his head, "No, I was only in sixth year when you were born, Lydia. I do suspect that you are not a Greengrass, though."

"I've suspected that for years, but if that's the case, do you know who my Father is?" Lydia asked her Uncle.

"I am afraid not," Julian replied, "Your mother was in Slytherin, and I was in Ravenclaw. I was quiet, everyone thought I was meek or boring, and she was part of the popular crowd. As such, you can see why I had very little contact with her during term-time."

Daphne nodded thoughtfully, "You could always ask Mother, Lydia."

Lydia laughed, "Ask Mother? Oh, come on, Daphne. You know fine well that she would not tell me, and for me to ask Father, I would have to spend five minutes in his company without getting cursed or yelled at."

Daphne sighed, "True…."

"Well, I suppose we may never know," Lydia said with a shrug, "The mystery may never unravel itself. But what I do know is that I am a Crouch."

"You are," Julian agreed with a smile.

"So for as long as you need it to be – this is your home."

Three days after the battle, Harry and Daphne found themselves in the drawing-room at Peverell Court. Lily was still on bed rest, and Harry had been so busy setting the wizarding world to right that he had barely seen anyone that he cared about.

However, Pollux had called him here, which had to mean that something had gone wrong so, while Daphne rocked Amalthea to sleep on the other side of the room, Pollux and Harry spoke in whispers.

"He has deteriorated," Pollux said.

Harry looked at the older man warily, "What does that mean?"

"It means that his appearance is getting more reptilian, rather than less so," Pollux returned, "I fear if someone cannot get inside his head soon, he will lose this fight."

"Well, what are we supposed to do?" Harry asked irritably, "He's hardly an open book. He could fry the brain of anyone who tried to look inside his head."

"Talk to Augustus," Pollux said, "Find out if he knows anything that could help. If he keeps deteriorating the way he is right now, we may not have weeks; we may have days until he loses the fight."

Harry nodded, "Does Lily know?"

"No," Pollux replied.

"Keep it that way," Harry said darkly, "There's no sense in us losing both of them."

Pollux nodded gravely.

"I'll talk to Gus after Lucius's funeral tomorrow," Harry promised, "And even if it means I have to risk him frying my brain, I'll do whatever it takes to get inside his ."

With a final nod, Pollux left the room.

Harry sighed and sank into a seat by the fire. Daphne meandered over, having just put Amalthea down in her Moses basket.

"What's wrong?" She asked, a comforting hand resting on Harry's shoulder

Harry shut his eyes tightly, "Tom is dying."

"What?"

Harry opened his eyes and looked up at his fiancé, "When he killed me, it triggered an act of remorse. It's a long story, but he used magic to split his soul, and when he decided to reverse that decision,…well, the pieces of his soul are all in the same vessel now, but they aren't exactly getting along."

"And there's nothing we can do?" Daphne asked, biting her lip as her heart went out to Lily.

Harry shook his head, "Nothing obvious, anyway. I'm going to talk to Gus tomorrow, but we have to get through the funeral first."

Daphne pulled him into a hug and sighed, "You said it yourself, love. Things are going to be hard before they get better."

She drew back and ran her thumb along his cheek, "But I'm here, for whatever you need."

"I know you are," Harry said, managing to give her a weak smile, "And I appreciate it, I promise."

Lucius's funeral was more depressing than Theo's. Harry was giving thanks to the fire element, again, which meant he had to be a more significant part of the event than he wanted to be.

And it was quite the event too. Lucius had been a popular man and a powerful Death Eater. The entirety of the Dark Lord's ranks showed up to pay their respects and give their final farewell to him.

Harry had been trying to catch Draco's eye all morning, but he had been steadfastly ignored, as had Sadie. Eventually, he gave up and looked across the garden at Lily – she was still pale and obviously not completely better. Technically, she should have still been on bed rest, but an exception had been made for the funeral, and that was true in a lot of cases – Azriel Gibbon was up by the house in a wheelchair, his wife looking tired and stressed as their three young kids stood sombrely by her side. Samson Weasley had a patch over his eye, and Corban Yaxley was leaning on a cane; his burn wounds were healing well, but they still hurt, after all.

Harry took his place in the quadrant along with Narcissa, Draco and Cygnus Greengrass with a sigh. His future father-in-law gave him a small smile of support, and Harry nodded back in response.

Narcissa struggled to hold it together when she began the proceedings by thanking the air element. She waved her wand and plucked all the cherry blossoms from a nearby tree, sweeping them up with an artificial breeze and then ending the spell so that they rained down over Lucius's body.

Underneath her black veil, Harry saw her tears fall.

Harry had a lump in his throat when he stepped forward to give thanks to the fire element. He took a breath then used his wand to cast a complicated spell with a complex incantation. Fire began to shoot from his wand, and he expertly weaved and twisted his wand to carve it into a dragon, reminiscent of a Welsh green, much to the awe of the mourners.

When he was finished, the dragon jumped upwards and began to fly around the funeral pyre. It had been formed with Gubraithian Fire which meant that it would never go out. It would stand watch over Lucius's soul on the grounds of Malfoy Manor forever.

The show had obviously moved Draco, who didn't bother trying to wipe the tears out of his eyes when he gave thanks to the water element. His spell was just as complex as Harry's but with a much more beautiful outcome. He rose the funeral pyre up and filled the ditch so that it appeared to be sitting on an ornate mirrored pond.

Finally, Cygnus gave thanks to the earth element in the most fitting way possible. He crafted four peacocks from the dirt around the funeral pyre then animated them. He had talked to the others about this before the funeral, so they knew what to do next.

" Incendio!"

Each spell hit an earthen peacock, causing four small explosions that sent up fireworks and simultaneously lit the funeral pyre.

They all stood stoically, watching the fire take hold, and then they parted ways. Cygnus approached Narcissa and spoke softly to her, then enveloped her in a hug.

On the other hand, Harry jogged to catch Draco before his friend could run away from him.

"Draco, I just wanted to say that what you did with the water was really nice," Harry said, grabbing his wrist.

Draco turned to look at him, "Thanks," he said dryly.

"Draco," Harry snapped, "You can't keep shutting me out; you need to talk to someone."

"What part of 'I don't want to talk to you', did you not understand?" Draco asked, spinning around angrily.

"You're my best friend," Harry said quietly, "You're like a brother to me, and I'm upset about Lucius's death too-"

"You don't understand what this feels like," Draco hissed, "He wasn't your father!"

"No, I lost my father when I was a baby," Harry agreed, his own eyes flashing angrily, "And then I lost father figures every other year and now-" his voice caught, "Now I think I'm about to losing another one, so I do know what this feels like and you need to stop being a selfish-"

Before Harry could finish his sentence, Draco swung at him and hit him in the nose. Harry cried out with a sickening crack, feeling blood pour out of his nose into his mouth.

It pushed him back, but it didn't stop him. he launched himself at Draco angrily, and the two of them ended up brawling on the ground like a couple of stupid idiots until Narcissa put a stop to it with a tearful, "Enough!"

Harry kicked Draco off of him, and both of their hearts sank when they saw Narcissa standing above them with tears in her eyes.

"Your father's last words to you two were to be there for each other," Narcissa said as the tears fell from her eyes, "Do you not think you ought to take his dying wish seriously?"

Harry nursed his nose and tried to get the word "sorry" out as Draco gave his mother a heartfelt apology. Narcissa walked away from them, shaking her head in disappointment, and Harry suddenly felt rather sick – from the pain in his nose and the shame of upsetting Narcissa.

" Episkey !"

Harry cursed as the spell set his nose quickly and painfully, "Ow! Reyna, what?"

"You're welcome," Reyna said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Daphne took up the same stance next to the Ravenclaw girl, "Take this to the woods and sort it out now ," she ordered.

Harry and Draco met each other's eyes, "Fine."

Neither of them was sure who had spoken first, but they stalked off to the woods together all the same, and although they wanted to duel, they didn't. Instead, they sat down in the same clearing that they had on Midsummer and didn't speak for a while.

"He was my Dad, and I miss him."

"I know," Harry said, kicking the ground, absentmindedly, "I miss him too."

"And I'm worried about my mother. She bottles things up and pretends to be fine, but she isn't fine, Harry," Draco said sharply, "None of this is fine."

"No, it isn't," Harry agreed, "But we are going to avenge him, Draco, and we are going to be there for your mother when the wall in her head comes crashing down. Just like Theo was there for me when it happened to me…"

Draco let his head drop into his hands, and Harry could tell that he was sobbing. With a sigh, he shuffled closer and put his arm around Draco's shoulder.

"Tom's dying."

Draco looked up tearfully, "What?"

Harry nodded, his arm still around his 'brother', "So I just lost one father figure and now, unless I can find a miracle cure for something that isn't meant to be bloody cured, I'm going to lose another one and-"

He paused and caught his breath, "This is the big one, Draco. Tom understood me for the first time, he understood my need for revenge, and he told me it was okay. He didn't punish me for it. Because of him, I'm who I am right now. He gave me this watch on my seventeenth birthday, and he made me Amalthea's godfather. He trusts me, and he confides in me, and I love him. I love him like a father, and he's dying."

Draco forgot about his sorrows for a moment and pulled Harry into a hug.

"I've never had to face death slowly like this, and I hate it," Harry said, hugging Draco back then shoving himself to his feet, "I hate how powerless I feel. I wish I could do something, anything to fix this."

"But sometimes we can't fix death," Draco said quietly, "You taught me that, Harry. You taught me that things turn out okay in the end, even if it doesn't feel like it right now."

"Yeah," Harry sighed, rubbing his eyes, "I suppose I did. Either way, y ou need to stop pushing Sadie out because one of the only things getting me through this is Daphne, and you've got a bloody nice girl who I think might actually love you. Chances like that don't come around every day, especially not for slimy little ferrets, so you better jump on it and let the girl help you."

Draco managed a half-smile, "You're a dick."

"I know," Harry said, smiling fondly at his friend.

Harry and Draco both apologised to and hugged Narcissa when they came out of the woods. But after that, they split off. Harry initially ended up talking to Reyna.

"How's the nose?"

"Fine, thanks for fixing it," He had replied as he took a swig from his hipflask, "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Reyna said stiffly.

"Reyna, you put your mother in the ground yesterday. It's okay for you not to be fine," Harry said quietly, "You are human, after all."

Reyna swallowed, "And I'm fine."

Harry sighed and shook his head, "Have you spoken to Naomi since the funeral?"

"No, and since she plans to travel the world now, I doubt I will ever again," Reyna said darkly.

"Well, she was never an advocate for this life, was she?" Harry asked.

"That's the polite way of putting it," Reyna retorted.

Harry sighed, "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, so am I," Reyna said, shrugging and walking away from Harry.

Harry looked around the garden for Daphne and saw her standing with Lydia a little way away. He crossed the garden and frowned when he reached them because they had suddenly stopped talking.

"Did I walk into a covert situation?"

Daphne smiled at Lydia, "You can trust him, I promise."

Lydia looked up, her eyes darker than usual, "I didn't go to Lee's funeral."

Harry frowned, "You could have if you had wanted to."

"I know," Lydia said, "That was the problem. I didn't want to, so I didn't go."

"And now she's worried she'll regret it, years down the line," Daphne pointed out.

"Oh, well," Harry mused, "I doubt it. I mean, you didn't like him that much, did you?"

"He wasn't the love of my life, but he was my daughter's father," Lydia pointed out as Daphne shook her head behind Lydia's back and mouthed – 'Harry, stop'.

Harry, thankfully, cottoned on, "Right, sorry."

Lydia gave him an irritated look and walked away. Daphne crossed her arms and gave him a pointed look, "Are you drunk, or did Draco hit you in the head?"

"We didn't duel. He just needed to talk," Harry said quietly, "Vent, I guess. I don't blame him; his father just died."

Daphne held out a hand, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Harry said, plastering on a smile.

"Harry, let me rephrase that," Daphne said, "You're not fine. What can I do to help?"

"Nothing," Harry replied, "I just need to find a time to talk to Gus, and we'll come up with something."

"And if you don't?" Daphne asked softly, "You need to face the reality of the situation, Harry. You could-"

"I know I could lose him, Daphne," Harry snapped, his calm façade shattering, "But right now, I'm focusing all of my efforts on saving him."

"Okay," Daphne said, taking his hand and pulling him towards her, "And I believe in you and Gus. But some things just cannot be fixed."

Harry nodded and rested his forehead against hers. He closed his eyes and sighed, But I have to fix this. We can't lose Tom, not right after w inning the war he has been fighting his entire life.

Narcissa went back to the hospital wing as soon as she had made niceties with Lucius's friends at the wake. She sat down by Andromeda's bed and looked out of the window at the pyre which was still burning – the remains of the man she had loved so deeply.

Her heart ached for Lucius. She wanted nothing more than to go back to the night they had met and re-live it all over again, the good and the bad parts. When she closed her eyes, she could still recall the moment that their eyes locked across the ballroom of Malfoy Manor at a Yule ball. She was in her final year at school, and it was the first time she had seen the man who would become her husband.

He had danced with her, made jokes, put her at ease. He had been as handsome as he was charming, and she had never felt so adored.

Narcissa sighed – Draco looked at Sadie the way Lucius had looked at her that night, and when Harry and Daphne had danced together at Yule, she and Lucius had shared a knowing smile. After all of these years, they had become more than a husband and a wife. They had been lovers and fighters and everything in-between.

There were times when they had hated each other, but they had always found their way back, but this time? There was no return. There was just a hole in Narcissa's chest that nothing could fill.

"Cissa…?"

Narcissa's eyes popped open, and she gasped, "Dromeda!"

Andromeda blinked and lifted a heavy hand to rub her eyes, "Why…am I alive?"

Narcissa frowned and grabbed her sister's hand, "Because I saved your life," she answered.

Andromeda pushed herself up a little and frowned at her younger sister, "Why? He's going to kill me, surely?"

Narcissa shook her head, her blue eyes meeting her sister's dark ones, "No, Dromeda. You almost died fighting Snape to keep me and, therefore, Amalthea, safe. The Dark Lord will not have you killed."

Andromeda cleared her throat, "Amalthea, our niece."

Narcissa's eyes were full of concern. She nodded, "Bellatrix is dead. Rodolphus and Rabastan killed her. I had to…the Dark Lord chose to save Amalthea over Bella, so I had to deliver my niece, knowing that I was ending my own sister's life."

Andromeda reached over and took Narcissa's hand.

"I can't lose another sister, Dromeda," Narcissa said, her voice choked, "I have lost too much to this war already."

Andromeda's eyes widened, "No…Lucius…?"

Narcissa shook her head and looked at the window.

Andromeda followed her line of sight. Then she saw the fire and the smoke.

"He died protecting you," Andromeda whispered, "Because, despite his flaws, he always loved you."

Narcissa swallowed and looked down at their joined hands. She took a steadying breath and looked up, "Edward is dead. The light took his body, and I presume they had a mass funeral."

"I know," Andromeda said, her voice rough with emotion, "I felt it the moment he died. I felt like my heart was-"

"- ripped out of my chest," Narcissa said at the same time as her sister.

Andromeda looked up at Narcissa with tears in her eyes.

"Because despite his blood status, even Mother could not deny how much Edward always loved you," Narcissa said softly.

Andromeda scoffed and ran her free hand through her hair, "And now we are both widows."

Narcissa sighed but nodded, "Your daughter, she was also killed in the battle. As was her husband, Remus."

Andromeda swallowed, "And my grandchild with her, then."

"Lydia Greengrass wanted me to pass on something regarding that," Narcissa confessed, "Before the battle, she and Remus informed us of the impending danger. Before Remus left, he and your daughter argued, and your daughter revealed that she had faked the pregnancy to stop Remus pursuing Harry."

Andromeda shook her head in disbelief.

"I only convey what I was told, Andromeda," Narcissa promised, "I do not speculate."

"There is no need for speculation," Andromeda said dryly, "It is probably all true."

A slightly tense, awkward air fell between them.

"Is Draco okay?" Andromeda asked.

Narcissa let out a relieved breath and nodded, "He was injured, and he will always have the scar to prove it, but yes, he is okay, for now."

"For now?" Andromeda questioned warily.

Narcissa met her sister's eyes, "He wishes to kill Severus Snape at the next meeting, and I suspect you know how traitors are traditionally executed."

Andromeda's eyes darkened, "He's only 17."

Narcissa bowed her head, "That was what I said to Severus when I asked him to protect Draco last year," she choked out, "And then he…I just don't know how he could do this to us."

"Because all Severus Snape ever cared about was Lily Evans," Andromeda said dryly, "Even if she stopped caring about him long before she died. He was obsessed with her, and he thought by helping the Order, he would be saving Harry Potter."

Narcissa scoffed and shook her head, "That poor boy is far safer here with me than he ever was with the light."

"So the rumours are true then," Andromeda said with a half-smile, "You have adopted him into the family."

"I could never have foreseen it happening this way, but in a very short space of time, he has become the brother I always wished I could have had for Draco," Narcissa confessed.

Andromeda sighed, "Yes, there was always a part of me that wished I could have given Nymphadora a sibling. I thought maybe it would have calmed her or given her a sense of duty, but she always was a wild child."

Narcissa smiled fondly, "I wonder who she got that from."

Andromeda rolled her eyes, "I may have run off with a Muggle-born which, as I recall you saying at the time, was 'practically social suicide'."

Narcissa chuckled and nodded, "Yes, it was something like that."

"Even so, marrying a Muggle-born, as horrific as it was in Mother's eyes, was a relatively common thing that people ran away and got disowned for back then," Andromeda pointed out.

"Nymphadora married a werewolf who was old enough to be her father."

"As much as I wish to disagree with you to set your mind at ease, I cannot," Narcissa admitted.

Andromeda shook her head, "I gave up on Nymphadora a long time ago. From the age of 11, she started calling herself 'Tonks' because she couldn't respect the name I had given her, and from that point onwards, she rebelled against me. No matter what I said, she would do the opposite."

"Well, if you had stuck with an astronomical name, perhaps she may not have despised it so much," Narcissa pointed out.

Andromeda shook her head, "Don't start. You don't know this story because we'd already cut ties before I had Dora. After her birth, I told Ted that we should name her after a constellation, and Ted looked at a tapestry on the hospital wall and pulled out the name Nymphadora. He had put it on her birth certificate before I had the chance to tell him that he was looking at the Greek history tapestry, not the star system one."

"He didn't know the difference between Greek Mythology and constellations?" Narcissa asked in disbelief.

"Oh, don't act so high and mighty. Most of the constellations are named after Greek Gods or demi-gods anyway," Andromeda said offhandedly, "And you're the odd one out in our family too. You aren't named after a star; you have a Roman name."

"Narcissa is the feminine form of Narcissus, which is a star in the Gemini constellation," Narcissa said with a smirk.

Andromeda gave her an amused look, "You've had that argument before."

"Yes, around the time Bella accused me of being illegitimate because I wasn't named after a star," Narcissa said, quirking up an eyebrow.

Andromeda rolled her eyes, "That is such a Bella thing to do."

The two sisters chuckled, and for a brief moment, they both believed that things might be okay. Yes, they would never be the same again, but maybe a new normal could be found.

~ TBC ~