Chapter Twenty Six

The woman looked at Harry suspiciously until he broke the ice with, "Animagus?" Narcissa nodded. "Fully authorized, I assume?"

"Oh, I think that we can agree, Mr. Potter, that being an unregistered animagus is the least of my sins."

"I won't argue that point." Harry gestured towards the mirror. "Your sister wanted me to come and invite you to attend in person. She says you may feel free to assume whatever form you are comfortable in."

Narcissa raised an eyebrow. "And she sent you with that message?"

"Well, it would be a bit obvious if Andromeda was seen talking to a mirror or disappearing from her own home during the reception. She also felt that sending an owl would be a bit impersonal. She thought no one would question if I suddenly got called away for a short time on 'auror business'.

"My sister always did have a mind for strategy. Take care if she ever invites you to play wizard chess."

There was an uncomfortable silence then Harry spoke again. "I won't pretend that I knew you very well, Mrs. Malfoy, but for a woman that loved her son enough to risk the wrath of the Dark Lord by lying about whether I was alive or dead, this whole abandonment thing is rather confusing to me. You obviously still care about Draco and yet you leave the country and turn down an invitation to his wedding, instead opting to sit in a cold forest spying on him through a mirror." He shook his head. "I know they say the rich are different but this...?"

Narcissa took the time to select her words carefully. "I will not insult the memory of your late mother by comparing us too closely, Mr. Potter, but I believe she would have understood exactly why I took this course of action. Like her, I only had one child and he ended up being the target of dark forces. Unlike her, I was at least partially to blame for my son's circumstances. At the end of the day, however, one thing was true for both your mother and myself. We each loved our children enough to give up the privilege of being in their lives in order to ensure their safety."

Harry looked confused. "But Voldermort is dead..."

"And I wish I could say that the hate he provoked in so many died with him. There is still a great deal of hostility directed at Lucius and myself from both sides of the conflict. If I had stayed, Draco would have felt compelled to focus his energy once again on protecting me." She shook her head slowly. "I could not allow that to happen. Every action that my son so deeply regrets he did either because of the way he was raised or to defend a family that did not deserve his loyalty. Draco is devoted to a fault. It was only by leaving him completely that he was going to be able to find the kind of life he has with the girl."

"The 'girl' has a name." Harry said curtly.

Narcissa gave a deep bow. "No disrespect is intended, Mr. Potter. As my son so eloquently mentioned during the ceremony, his bride has a beautiful name. I simply feel unworthy to use it." She sighed. "You can ask Andromeda. Even before 'You Know Who', the importance of names was literally beaten into the Black family. Then I married Lucius and that was all we ever heard. 'Nothing must tarnish the name of Malfoy,' he'd say. He cared more for the name itself than he did for those of us who were burdened with it." She arched an eyebrow at Harry. "So I take the using of names very seriously, Mr. Potter."

She looked in the mirror and saw Luna's face smiling back at them. "She was the start of things in many ways."

"How do you mean?" Harry asked.

"I knew that the Dark Lord had lost all reason even before he ordered the Snatchers to kidnap that little one." She closed her eyes briefly at the memory. "I was there when they first brought her into the manor. So small, so young, even younger than my boy..." She sniffed softly. "And then there was her demeanor. She was so calm. It was inspiring and heartbreaking at the same time."

Narcissa ran her finger along one side of the mirror. "You know, I have never seen anyone with that sort of natural inclination towards earth magic. All living things were drawn to her. Spiders, insects, mice, owls, kneazles...I even found one of Lucius' blasted peacocks trying to get into the cellars while she was there. I even wondered if the damned snake might have hesitated if it had been ordered to attack her."

She watched as her son embraced his new wife. "There was also the most incredible aura of...peace and healing that surrounded her. I am certain the wandmaker would have perished if she had not been there. And yes, I know his name as well, and it is another that I feel undeserving to use."

Narcissa's voice began to quiver. "I remember one day in particular. Bellatrix was bored and wanted something to amuse herself with so she went to the cellars and began taunting the wandmaker. She cast one crucio and then another. As she cast the third, the girl threw herself over the old man and stayed there until Bella got called away. At that moment, something in me broke. I thought, what have I become...being complacent in this..." She cleared her throat. "Thankfully, you showed up not long after and rescued both of them, at least absolving me of that burden."

She looked back at Harry and asked, "Does she love him as much as he loves her?"

Harry smiled. "Yes. As unlikely as it may have seemed to us at first, they love each other very much." His face grew concerned. "Are they going to be safe? From those angry at you and your husband, I mean."

Narcissa gave a decisive nod. "Yes. I mean, there is a remnant of 'true believers' out there but they are poorly organized and far more interested in complaining about muggle borns at this point. Everyone knows that Lucius and Draco have no relationship and my 'abandonment' of him further reduced his value as a target. In addition, my son and his new bride are both pure bloods and the possibility of an heir for one of the 'sacred 28' is...enticing for certain elements. For anyone that might still consider coming after them a message has been sent making the consequences of that crystal clear."

A look of understanding slowly crept over Harry's face. "You were behind the manticore attack."

Narcissa shrugged. "That depends. Is this an interrogation?"

Harry shook his head. "Not at all. That case is closed and reopening it would be a nightmare for everyone involved. I merely ask out of professional curiosity."

"Well, I can satisfy you on that point if you promise to not to blame my sister for her limited involvement. Her participation consisted solely of advising me that the girl had been harmed in the first place. She knows nothing of what followed."

"I wasn't aware that you and Andromeda were in communication at all until today."

"Again, to protect my loved ones, I severed all obvious ties. The breach between Andromeda and my family is well known and was, in fact, a reality until after the final battle. I sent condolences on her enormous loss and she graciously invited me to her home and granted me quite undeserved forgiveness. When I went to the continent, I did not tell her why I was leaving my son behind but I felt that she suspected my true motives. Either way, when the attack occurred, Andromeda sent word that the woman Draco loved had been assaulted with dark magic and for me to be on my guard in case this was the first wave in some sort of coordinated retaliation against the family."

"My only concern, however, was for my son so I slipped back into this country. By the time I arrived the perpetrators had already been apprehended. Even though Draco was now safe, my maternal instincts got the better of me. For my own protection I always carry at least two vials of poly juice with me so when I heard a young lady talking about being a healer while dining in Hogsmeade, I managed to pocket a few stray hairs and snuck into St. Mungo's the following day."

Harry took out his notebook and jotted down a few words. Seeing the look on Narcissa's face he assured her, "Not breaking my word about an interrogation. Simply making a note to review security protocols at St. Mungo's next week."

"As indeed you should. I myself was shocked at how easy it was to gain entrance to her room." Her expression turned sad. "I walked in and saw him clutching the girl's hand and whispering to her. The look in his eyes...I had never seen it before. My son's heart was breaking and I had to stand there and consult a chart and act like none of it mattered to me. My performance in front of the dark lord that night in the forest was child's play by comparison."

She took a deep breath. "I stayed in the room for as long as I dared but as I was leaving I heard him swear an oath that, whatever it took, he would make sure that the men that hurt her would pay with their very lives. I knew that he meant it and I knew what that vow could end up costing him. So, I did what I should have done a long time ago. I took decisive action to ensure my son could have the life he deserved - one focused on love rather than revenge. I called in a few favors and afterwards made sure those in certain quarters were clear as to the message being sent. Anyone not having a death wish will take great pains to stay far away from both of them."

Narcissa then faced Harry directly. "So - with all that being said - how are we to end this conversation, Mr. Potter?"

Harry shrugged. "I think by saying that I believe the slate is now clean between us, Mrs. Malfoy." He raised his wand but before apparating away, he added, "And perhaps when the time comes for you to become a grandmother, I can try to convince Luna that the child might enjoy having a cat around the house?"

Narcissa shook her head. "I believe my son's wife is far too clever for that. But perhaps Andromeda might come across a stray that visits from time to time?"

Harry nodded. "I'll be sure to tell her to keep some catnip handy then." With that he apparated back to the reception leaving behind an graceful feline with melancholy eyes.