Narcissa's POV

Narcissa was worried sick at the Potter's residency. Sirius and Remus were working frenetically on tracking the kid down. He disappeared an hour ago from Hogsmade, when Severus Snape was supposed to watch over him, but he lost him in the sea of people.

Hermione Granger reported him missing. She said he was talking to a blond man, that Harry reassured her was his uncle, although she never seen them together before. They walked together somewhere and then Harry was not back the whole afternoon, she got worried and reported his disappearance to Severus Snape.

"Are you sure the map is working?" Lily asked for the 10th time in one minute.

"Yes, but is behaving like he is not in range" Sirius said frustrated.

"Do you think…that they took him out of England?" Remus turned to his lover.

"We never planned that…but how? They can't just apparate…they would need a port-key."

"We know Peter is involved maybe there is a port-key registered under his name," Lily urged. "Who do we know in Transports?"

"We knew Bertha…I have no idea who she was replaced with" Narcissa frowned.

"He appeared!" Remus who was still studying the map shouted.

"Where?" Lily jumped.

"Hogsmade" Remus looked at Sirius.

Lily apparated away with a pop. Everyone else followed.

Narcissa could see only a black mop of hair as Harry was smothered by his family.

"Are you okay?" Lily asked still hugging her son.

"Yes, I got away in time" Harry's voice was hushed.

"What happened?" Remus asked the trembling kid.

"He is back….Voldemort is back" Harry said with tears in his eyes.

Narcissa froze and looked at her cousin. Sirius looked sick and Remus's hands were trembling slightly.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Lily asked kindly.

"Not here!" Sirius said looking around.

They all apparated, by unspoken agreement, to Grimmlaud Place. Lily is holding Harry, Sirius and Remus bustle inside flicking all the candles on and lightning the fire. They settle for the library, Harry with a blanket over his shoulder in Sirius's big armchair, the rest around him on couches and plush chairs.

"It was Peter who took you?" Sirius asked.

Harry nods.

Kreatcher brings him a cup of tea without being asked and thrust it into the kid's hands. Harry hands onto it like a lifeline.

"How?" Remus asked.

"A portkey, in a present box" Harry's voice is almost a whisper; they have to strand to hear.

"Where did he took you?"

"A graveyard. A small one, like the Black family one"

"Gaunt?" Remus asked Sirius.

"Can be…but that would show on the Map"

"So what happened there?" Lily prodded gently.

Harry, with an unwavering voice told them about all the events that transpired in the cemetery.

"So when he said I have to fight him, I accio'd the portkey and returned to Hogsmade"

"How many people answered his call?" Sirius asked.

"I didn't had time to count, more than 10"

"Is okay, Harry, we will take care of it!" Remus said putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on, let's get you to bed, I will let the school know you are safe" Lily said and grabbed Harry's hand.

"I will murder the bastard!" Sirius said in a dark voice.

"We will, but we will not do it rashly," Remus advised.

"Rashly!? He kidnapped Harry!"

"He will get what is coming for him, but he is not our focus now!"

"We need to talk to Severus, he may know something," Narcissa said.

"Yeah, I will go and fetch Lily for this, he is more approachable that way" Sirius sighed.

"You should go home, is Draco still there?" Remus asked once Sirius was gone.

"Yes, he hadn't come out of his room in days"

"To be expected after what he's gone through" Remus looked pained.

"I will not stop till I prove Lucius's involvement in that! Cedric couldn't just disappear!"

"Dora is working on it also, but is hard since she is still teaching"

"Not long, she will quit after the end of this year. She likes being an Auror a lot more"

Draco was waiting for her at the door. He looked the liveliest she seen him in the past days.

"Harry?"

"He is back home, safe"

Draco relaxed, as if a string that had been tensed for a long time was finally released.

"Who?" He asked.

"Pettigrew and Bellatrix"

"That is not all is it?" Draco asked staring at her face.

"He is back"

Draco shivers, all the color in his eyes draining.

"I…will go to my room" Draco drags himself out.

They were all waiting for the paper, her, Lily, Remus and Sirius. She was never a fan of the Prophet, but she was anxious about it now.

Lily made a statement and told them about Voldemort, the journalists were crawling for an interview from her for ages. Narcissa would have liked to see their faces when this is what they got, after all this time.

The Prophet came, on the front page was Dumbledore's face looking smitty, in bold black letters the title read:

"Albus Dumbledore removed from his position as Chief Worlock after sensational statements"

They turned to the indicated page and Lily read them all the article out loud. Apparently, Dumbledore was fired after affirming in front of the whole court an "outlandish lie meant to rile people up against an invisible foe". They did not even mentioned his actual name.

"This is bullshit!" Sirius screams. "I am buying a newspaper"

"No, you are not" Remus rolls his eyes.

"Okay, we are buying a newspaper"

"What I mean is, we do not have to, and we already have connections at a newspaper"

"The Quibler!" Lily exclaimed.

"Is not as read though" Narcissa frowned.

"It will be when it will feature Lily's only interview," Remus said rising from his chair.

"Do you think Lovegood will do it?" Sirius asked.

"Xenophilius is a friend of mine, he will. I will go and write to him" Remus made a hasty exit.

"Wipe that grin of your face" Naricssa turned her head to Lily, the one that spoke.

"What grin?" Sirius asked still smiling.

"The my boyfriend is smart grin"

"Never!"

Lily's interview did appear in the Quibbler as Remus promised. Moreover, it broke the records for the number of sales. They would have celebrated that, if not for the letter from the Ministry where Lily was accused of slender and fined.

"Why not have a trial?" Sirius asked.

"They do not want people to know about it," Remus concluded.

"Oh, but they will" Lily's eyes were fiery.

Narcissa was walking fast along Diagon's Ally. She really does not like to be outside, especially in the crowded market, but this is something she has to do.

Remus once told her about agoraphobia, a word the muggles invented for people afraid to go outside, but she does go, to people she trusts, she went to Hogwarts once, is just that she can feel the stares of everyone passing by. People silently judging her for fighting against Voldemort, for being on the wrong side at the beginning, for being a Black, for divorcing…for raising her son alone. In all of this is only a choice she regrets, but the people staring do not know that. She is fine going into Muggle London, or a different country, but not Wizarding Britain.

Remus and Sirius's shop is thankfully in a less crowded area, but that is a small comfort. The shop is small, the windows have been cleaned and polished, but no sign hanged outside. She enters. Remus and Sirius are bustling inside dusting and polishing the floors. Lily is arranging the furniture inside, her wand delicately placing a desk in the middle.

"Narcissa!" Sirius is the first to notice her.

"Hello everyone!" She smiles.

"What are you doing here? Is everyone okay?" Sirius panicked.

"Everyone is fine; Draco is visiting his friends"

"Did you walk here?" Remus asked. "The entire zone is no-apparition"

"Yes, I did walk here"

"I am so proud of you!" Lily shouted.

"Is not such a big thing"

"Yes it is!" Lily protested dumping the desk with a loud bang.

"I am here to help you!" She said turning toward her cousin.

"You do not mean at cleaning, are you?" Sirius asked.

"No, I…need to do something; I can't stand and watch this time"

"You do not owe anyone anything!" Remus said gently.

"I am owing myself! I cannot run from this! I know you are talking about the Order again and I want in that as well"

No one moved or said anything. Sirius was beaming, Remus was pondering and Lily was frowning.

"If you put yourself in danger, what about Draco?" She asked finally.

"You do it and are a single mother as well. If you think that I am incapable…"

"We know, you are more than capable" Remus cut her off.

"We are happy to have you!" Sirius said hugging her.

"What about the shop?" Lily asked.

"You lot need someone to handle the financial aspect and especially the paperwork"

They decided to open an antique shop at the bottom floor using the many objects locked in the Black family vaults and attic. Sirius posted a hiring add in the Quibbler for a clerk and a help.

"You could have posted it in the Prophet, a lot of people read that one," Narcissa pointed out.

"I prefer the sort of people who read the Quibbler"

The very next day, someone enters the building.

"Hello" the new voice calls shyly.

"Hello" Narcissa welcomed him from the front desk.

"I am here for…the job" The young men said. He looked in his mid-twenties, light blond hair and deep blue eyes, handsome, if he would stop fidgeting and hunching over himself.

"Welcome, my name is Narcissa Black" She walked over and extend her hand.

"Brodin Vilks" The man hesitates, but shakes her hand.

"Are you the shop owner?" Brodin asks.

"That is actually my cousin. He and his partner are upstairs setting up the…place"

"There are rooms above the shop?" Brodin asked.

"Yes, they are, but we plan to use them as well"

"Sirius, Remus, someone is here for the job"

If Brodin was surprised that both of the names were masculine, he did not show it. Good sign, Narcissa thought.

"Hello" Sirius appeared grinning. Both his and Remus's faces were bright red and even if the clothes looked well, Remus had more buttons open then he did going up. Like teenagers, Narcissa rolled her eyes.

Brodin started smiling as well, but then his nose flairs and he stares at Remus, his body looked tense, ready to jump. Sirius noticed and moved slightly in front of Remus.

"Hello" Remus said in a gentle voice as if he was speaking with a scarred animal.

"Actually…I think I am in the wrong shop," The young man said backing away.

"Pity, because you are more than welcomed here" Remus said.

Brodin stopped and looked at Remus unsure.

"Werewolf?" Sirius asked Remus.

"Yes, pretty young, you haven't been turned long, have you?"

The boy looked around unsure on how to answer.

"I've been since I was 5" Remus added.

"Last year" Brodin said "I was gathering some herbs under the full moon for a potion…I didn't even seen the wolf coming"

"How about we continue the interview in the office upstairs?" Sirius proposes.

"You still want to hire me?" Brodin asked surprised. "I've been turned down from 3 places only today"

"Well you are not from this one" Remus smiled.

"Not before the interview at least" Sirius said with a tight smile.

"Remus, you conduct this one. Sirius, I need help restocking" Narcissa said.

"Restocking wh…" Sirius started, but stopped in time.

Remus and Brodin make their way upstairs.

"Why did you do that?" Sirius hissed.

"They didn't need your jealousy fit right now"

Sirius glaredat her.

Remus ended up hiring Brodin as a potion master in their makeshift hospital. They hired the last people the next day; they hired Serena as the store clerk, she was a half-Veela and it was hard for her to find a job because of that. The next person was Ceas, a goblin.

"I will not work the cash registry!" Ceas proclaimed loudly as soon as he entered the shop.

"We already filled that position" Narcissa blinked surprised.

"Okay, I can do other work. I can appraise." Ceas nodded to himself.

"Very well, in the back you will find Sirius Black, the owner, you will take your test with him"

Ceas was gone a long time, Narcissa was started to get worried, so she went to check on them. Sirius and Ceas were drinking some old red wine from goblets that were probably worth a fortune and laughing off to some joke Narcissa did not hear.

In the end, both of them were hired. With a full stuff working the antique shop, they could officially open. Remus and Hagrid have spread the word about the place offering help to creatures very discreetly and they were hoping that was enough.

"Why not post a full advert in a newspaper?" Sirius asked one evening before they left the shop.

"The Government is acting really suspicious now, we do not want to go against it unless we absolutely have to" Remus answered.

"How can this be against it? We are practically doing their job" Sirius boomed.

"We are, but in a manner they have no control over…They will accuse us of Merlin knows what" Lily puffs.

"They will find out eventually," Sirius protested.

"They will, but then they will most likely turn a blind eye than admit it and accuse us publicly," Remus explained.

"What is the name of the shop anyway?" Narcissa asked.

"I filled for it this morning at the Ministry, I was so surprised no one took it" Sirius said a huge grin on his face.

"I won't like it, will I?" Narcissa frowned.

"Little shop of Trinkets!" Sirius said cheerful.

Narcissa stares at him unblinking.

"Is a pun and a reference to a muggle show!" He said excited.

"No one would know that!" Narcissa protested.

"Let him have it, his first choice was "The salvage beast" " Remus sighs.

"In that case, yes, it is marginally better"

"See!" Sirius beams.

Having a job was something new to Narcissa, she always managed the finances in the house and was aware of the investments of the family, but this is her first proper job. She has a small office in the back of the store, where they keep their extra stock. She finished cataloguing the goods Sirius donated to the shop and Ceas appraised them giving all of them an estimated price.

Today is the first day they have real customers coming in and she is very excited. Narcissa always kept to herself, more reserved than any of her sisters, even if Andromeda and Bellatrix had polar opposite believes, they both held strongly to them. Narcissa did not believe in the Dark lord like Bellatrix did, but she did not fight against it either like Andromeda and Sirius did.

She had more to fight for now than she did then. Draco was born in the last months of the First Wizarding War, but even before she had him, she never attended the Dark Eaters meeting. She knew Lucius was one of them, an active participant, she did try to stop him, but she did not took Draco and left like she would have done now.

She entered the shop. Selina was already at the till smiling, Narcissa waved at her and slipped in the back. Ceas was muttering to himself over an old book that Narcissa has brought from the Black vault the other night.

The day was more uneventful than Narcissa expected it to be. It will be a full month until something happens.

They were locking up after a long week, people started coming with their heirlooms, since it was the only antique shop that was not in Knockturn. A lot of people came only to gawk and try to get a glimpse of Lily since she was always in the news these days.

Narcissa was just summing this month's expenses; Sirius and Remus were managing the counter since Selina asked for a day off. Lily was working at the hospital, since she kept a full job as well.

The shop had a back entrance that they charmed to only open in case of emergency, Lily and Remus put a lot more wards on it than that, but that was the gist of it. Narcissa was surprised when she heard the entrance open. She rose from her desk and walked over the dark backroom.

"Help!" A faint voice called.

Narcissa barely caught the young man; he looked almost Hogwarts age, with dark brown hair and pale, almost translucent skin. He was bleeding, she did not see a wound, but his clothes were covered in blood.

She heard steps rushing in from the shop; bless Remus's sense of smell, because any more and she would collapse under the young boy's weight.

"Sirius, call Lily" Remus instructed while helping Narcissa hold the body up. "Are you okay?"

"Fine" Narcissa said. "Is he…?"

"The scent is changing, he may have just been turned" Remus said and carried the man out of the back room easily. Narcissa followed.

"It had been a full moon last night" Remus supplied.

"Oh, I haven't even noticed…You look…fine"

"Wolfs bane helps…and …Sirius"

"There is any way to stop the transformation?"

"Lily and Brodin were working on something for new people being bitten"

Remus carried the men upstairs into one of the rooms they prepared as part of the hospital. Brodin was still working on something in the lab. He rushed in when they got inside. He sniffed the air around the young man.

"We can still save him" He assured Remus and started working on the potion.

Lily came in only a few minutes later. Narcissa retreated to a corner. It took them hours, but in the end the young man died from blood loos, the werewolf had bitten into a vein in his neck, the only thing that kept him alive for this long was the werewolf venom in his body.

Lily sobbed when he died and Brodin broke a chair. They did not even manage to find out his name. Sirius was the one who took care of the funerals; they were the only people who attended it.

After the first patient, many more arrived. Some had wounds after the full moon and needed some medical help; some stay a night or two sleeping in the upper rooms. They had a kid that had been bit on the arm; they manage to stop him from transforming. They break the good wine for that.

Selina brings a Veela to them one night; hunters had hurt her. The Veela is snarling at them, her huge wings are messy and bloody, her face is framed by dark wavy hair, porcelain skin turning white from blood loss.

"She only agreed to come because I assure her the Healer treating her is female," Selina explains.

"She is, Healer Lily Potter is the best" Narcissa assured the frighten child for it was a child, behind the allure and the sharp talons, child-like eyes were staring at her.

"No men" The Veela snarled.

"There are none in the building" Narcissa assured.

"Good" The Veela said and collapsed. Selina struggled to support her weight.

Lily rushed in; they carried the unconscious body upstairs where Lily treated her. The next day she flew out of the window without another word.

"Fuck Umbridge!" Narcissa and Brodin look up startled. They look at each other not sure how to react when Remus was in such a mood.

"What happened, mate?" Brodin finally asked.

Remus slammed the Prophet on the table. On the first page it was announced a new legislation signed by Umbridge for "the control of the increasingly large werewolf population".

"Under the new law werewolves can't hold Ministry jobs, are required by law to reveal themselves upon hiring and are denied education, healthcare and the right to procreate" At the last words Brodin voice, for he was the one reading it out loud, rose to impossible highs.

"She controls who has children now!?" Narcissa rose from her chair outraged.

"Babies that are sired by werewolves would be relocated to an orphanage and raised by the Ministry to become productive members of society" Brodin continued reading.

"How, if they can't have a job?" Narcissa asked out loud.

"That must violate basic rights or something" Brodid said outraged.

"Oh, yes, we are also not considered fully magical beings since we are dangerous, our right to live is dictated by how safe we are…and she also proposed we should be sent to reservations, like other creatures of the same status" Remus spat.

"Fuck indeed" Brodin said "Sorry Ms. Black"

"Is okay" Narcissa said absentminded. "You need to talk to Sirius about going into politics; we need a good voice out there"

"He hates it" Remus said "I am not sure he would even do a good job, you are more suited for it"

"I can't…Remus…." She shivers only at the thought of it.

"Moony, we are having a baby!" Sirius barged in.

Remus's face was bright red; from anger of embarrassment, Narcissa was not completely sure.

"Sorry, boss, but even I can't make that happen" Brodin said not missing a pace.

They all turned to him like they only now remembered he was there. Sirius and Remus were pretty private, they were not hiding or anything like that, but were not very openly affectionate, especially around the shop. Everyone was relieved by Bodin's reaction though.

"How do you feel about adoption?" Sirius said wiggling his brows.

"I already have to deal with a 2 year old, why push it for more?" Remus rolls his eyes at his lover, but had a small smile on his lips.

The August heat is unbearable in the tiny office. Narcissa has taken to help Selina in the shop, since they are getting pretty good business this month. Selina likes when she helps, Narcissa knows how to talk to stuffy purebloods that are broke and want to sell their last heirlooms, or to pretentious purebloods that want antiques only for the name of it.

She was helping Selina close the store one evening, they were the only ones left, Lily was working at the hospital and Remus has just left a few minutes before of them. Selina closed the register and Narcissa was grabbing their coats when someone stumbled into the door from the other side.

"We are closed!" Selina called.

The figure did not move and leaned more into the door, with all its weight, because the door opened under it. A man collapsed on the floor. Narcissa threw the coats and rushed over to help thinking it was one of the patients.

She turned the man towards her to assess the damage. Remus's bruised face stared at her, he had cuts that were bleeding and he was breathing hard and shacking.

"Call Lily!" Narcissa ordered to Selina "And Sirius" She added as an afterthought.

Lily and Sirius arrive only a few seconds apart, both busting in, Lily in a professional frenzy, Sirius bustling with unspent energy and resentment.

"Who was it?" Sirius spit venomously.

Remus was not looking at him gasping for each breath.

"Sirius, let me put him back on his feet," Lily ordered

Sirius stepped back reluctant, but kept glaring at his lover.

In a few minutes, hours, Narcissa has no idea, Lily manages to patch Remus's wounds and his breathing finally leveled.

"Now…" Sirius starts in righteous anger.

"No! Let him rest!" Lily protests loudly.

And like she casts a spell, Remus's eyes drop down and closed.

"I should get back to the hospital" Lily sighs. "Get him home and in bed!"

"Want me to come with you?" Narcissa asked.

"No, Cissy, I can manage" Sirius takes Remus in his arms and apparats away.

They are both missing for a week. Narcissa did visit them after day 3. Kratcher answers the door and leads her to the library.

Remus is reading by the fire, a knitted blanket on his legs, although is the middle of summer. Sirius is perched on the couch, muscles tense as if he is ready to jump at any second.

"Do you need a Robe, Moony, are you cold?" Sirius asked.

"I am fine, Padfoot" Remus sighs.

"Good afternoon!" Narcissa announced politely. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than the invalid blanket would suggest" Remus mumbles.

"You are just under the open window!" Sirius protests loudly.

"And also a werewolf with healing abilities" Narcissa pointed out.

"The wounds actually closed already" Remus supplied.

"That is the deal" Sirius hissed.

"Deal?"

"Yes, he gets to mother me and in return he won't go after whoever did this" Remus said rolling his eyes at Sirius.

"For now" Sirius hisses.

"Sirius!" Remus admonished.

"I am sure they will do something else…and when they do…"Sirius grins darkly, all teeth.

"I do not know their names anyway," Remus said.

"You know their scent, I am sure you could have found them if you wanted to!" Sirius raised his voice.

"But I do not…If they were doing this because they are Death Eaters or want to hurt someone else I would have….But they only did it because they didn't like me…"

"And isn't that enough of a reason to go after them? They are racists or homophobes…they deserve it anyway"

"Sirius, please" Remus lowers his voice.

"Is your choice…" Sirius sighed.

Narcissa did not accompany Draco to the station that year either. She wanted to, but Draco refused to be taken by his mother. He was feeling a bit better, at least now he spent some time with friends and outside of his room.

Harry had no such qualms as Lily and Sirius took him to the station that year. Draco was taken to school by the Parkinson's. Narcissa liked Pansy quite a lot, but she never liked her family. Her father was drunk with power and would do anything to get even a crumble of it and her mother has no say in anything in her life.

The evening of September 1st, Draco wrote to her that he arrived, his letter felt formal as her son has taken to writing lately, she missed when he was more of her son and less of an heir. Every time he leaves to stay with Lucius, he returns a little bit colder, a little bit more proper and prim.

Narcissa knows Lucius is a bad influence on him, but she can't exactly say in front of a judge that he is turning Draco into more of a pureblood. She starts writing her response. The house is quiet; it always is when Draco leaves.

She finishes her letter and sends it by owl, the bird flies lazily through the open window. Narcissa hears a noise downstairs. She summons her wand. She thinks about sending a Patronus, but she does not know if it's needed yet.

She walks out of the office and steps downstairs; the wood is old and creaky under her feet. Maybe is not an attacker, just Sirius wanting to vent about something, or Remus wanting a break. She wanted to call, but her voice wouldn't obey her.

"Petrificus Totalus" She hears behind her. Her whole body goes lax; her wand slips from her hand and falls to the floor.

"I didn't want to do this" Lucius said walking from the entryway to where she stands like a statue.

She had to allow him into the wards to pick up and leave Draco. That has been her first mistake.

"I did try to get them to give me some other task" Lucius said.

Narcissa glares, she does in her mind as the body does not obey. She screams and cries in her mind as well.

"I really did love you…I know you did not…I always thought you will in time, but you took the first way out that you could have…" Lucius takes a chair, he doesn't look at her while monologing.

"I wasn't guilty…I was a Death Eater, but I didn't kill all of those people…One of us, did, sure, but not me. You took Draco away from me…Winning him back is like I am back in the war".

If she could speak, Narcissa would scream that he deserved it, that he lost all right to his family when he joined Voldermort.

"And then that kid…What have you made of me, Narcissa? All I ever wanted was to have a normal pureblood life, a family, an heir, enough power and money to not worry about surviving….I am not a megalomaniac, I do not want to rule the world…I just want everything to stay like it is, like it should be"

He rises from his chair, walked to her and pats her unmoving cheek. Narcissa wishes she could bite his hand off.

"I have to tell them you fought, I should have given you the chance…But we both know you would have won" Lucius retreats his hand and pulls out his wand. "I am sorry it had to end like this"

Just before the curse hit Narcissa thinks about Draco, about him at school, she hopes he will stay with Sirius and grow up with Harry and be happy. And for a blinding second, before the white overcomes her vision, she sees a grown up Draco waving at her, carrying a small bundle in his arms smiling blindingly.