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Review Responses:

Dark Comet - Thanks for reviewing and for wishing me luck with the dreaded exams, trust me if you think GCSEs are bad wait 'til you do A-levels! Glad you enjoyed that Mirror of Erised fic, I just get so sad when Fred and George fight with each other! I would advise anything on my favourites list, but a few of them are very sad. The fic by honest_iago, "Dark Clouds Smoulder into Red" is excellent and links with this fic and in particular with "Turning Point". "Runaway Dragon" is fantastic but very long and not finished yet, so you'll need a while to read that, it's adorable Snape and Draco though (Not in slashy way in a father son way). Before the Kiss is a beautiful fic about Luc and Narc but it makes me cry every time! It will make you like Lucy however much you intend not to let it, it succeeded with me! Basically they're all brilliant, if you're a Percy fan read "The Memorial" or "Fang", if you like Seamus read "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling". Ok, I'm going to stop now before I rave about them all! LOL! Thank you for the pie. Thank you for reviewing again on chapter 10 and seeing how overworked I am! honest_iago thinks I'm just some writing machine to churn out cute, ooh but I can't finish that sentence because then part of the story would be given away! Hee hee, I'm evil to write that! Thank you for the much needed asprin. I shouldn't criticise honest_iago as she did give me some really good ideas just today! I like that line too by the way, I love it when Narcissa gets a bit sentimental!

Professor Charlotte Snape - He does swear too much and I guarantee that Narcissa is going to worry one hell of a lot in this story! Poor woman! Thanks for reviewing!

Sunshine-chick - I like answering people's reviews it gives me a chance to explain things better and all that. I always feel there must be a reason for Draco's appalling attitude and behaviour sometimes. I don't think he ever had much of a chance with Lucius for a father! Don't worry about Narcissa, she may complain but she's used to being a trophy wife and frankly that's the least of her problems! Thanks for reviewing!

I Built My Life Around You

**Narcissa's Thoughts**

Chapter 11

A week or so before they were due to leave for Moscow Narcissa was roused early by the house elf informing her that there was someone at the door and that Lucius was out.

"Who is it?" she muttered sleepily, seeing that the clock read ten past seven.

"They is saying they is from the ministry."

"Damn!" Narcissa leapt out of bed and dragged on some clothes running a brush through her hair and leaving it falling round her shoulders, having no time to put it up. In five minutes she was downstairs and found that Dobby had left the ministry representatives on the doorstep and closed the door on them. **Well serves them right for troubling me now, this better be important; and where the bloody hell is Lucius when you want him?!**

She opened the door to find three men and a woman standing there. The woman and one of the men stood at the back she assumed were aurors, in front of them stood a warlock and a man she recognised, "Arthur Weasley."

He nodded, seemingly flustered that the woman recognised him, "Yes, erm, we're here to search the premises."

"For what exactly?" she asked, blocking the doorway as the warlock looked like he was about to slip in.

"Well, you see I and my colleague," he gestured to the warlock, "are from the misuse of muggle artefacts office and these are representatives from the magical law enforcement office..."

She cut across him as he was about to introduce the two aurors, "I'm sorry but that really doesn't tell me why you're here."

"To conduct a search of these premises for articles that should not be here, either muggle artefacts or those relating to the dark arts," the female auror said, "Now you would be wise to let us in."

Narcissa weighed up the situation, there was her and Dobby against two aurors and two ministry workers and she was no great shakes with a wand at the moment. Though she had improved due to her practicing, she did not as yet feel confident enough to take on four adult witches and wizards with only a house elf for back up. She did not want them in her house however.

"My husband isn't home..." she started, trying to sound pathetic and like a dumb blonde airhead.

The woman interrupted her, "That's quite alright, we don't need him here."

"Well, I'd really rather wait until he gets here, I don't like the idea of letting four strangers into my home when I am defenceless." She tucked her hair back behind her ear; grateful she had left it down as it made her look younger and more vulnerable, something which could only work to her advantage. The gesture of tucking it behind her ears was meant to further that impression and also to make her appear nervous. She was a good actor and for a moment it looked as though it might work as the male auror's face softened considerably.

"I quite understand Mrs Malfoy..." he began.

"But we have a job to do," the woman interrupted him, "And you appear to know Arthur Weasley, so we are not complete strangers."

"Only by reputation," Narcissa protested but she knew she'd lost, the woman was clearly in charge. "Fine, come in." She gestured them inside, hoping to every God she could name that Lucius hadn't been stupid enough to leave anything incriminating lying about. **Where is he?**

The four of them separated, and simply set off round the house much to her horror, as she could not follow all of them.

"Dobby," she whispered, "follow that woman, I don't trust her."

He nodded and set off after the woman while Narcissa followed Arthur Weasley into the ballroom. This room was very grand, decorated entirely in white and gold, but had remained unused for years, the last really big event it had hosted had been her wedding to Lucius and then there had also been a small party when she had discovered she was pregnant. As the 'lady of the manor', so to speak, it fell to her to arrange parties and the like but she had never found herself in the mood to entertain Lucius' 'friends'.

"I doubt you will find anything to interest you in here, it hasn't been used in years," **I don't think I've set foot in here for at least three years, maybe longer, it's always kept shut up, you could almost forget it was here.**

"It's a lovely room Mrs Malfoy," Arthur commented looking at the beautifully intricate and almost impossibly high ceiling.

"Thank you," she glanced around, it was a lovely room and a very grand one at that but Narcissa felt no particular attachment to it.

Arthur Weasley soon left the room, as it was clear that there was indeed nothing there to interest anyone. He walked through the dining room and the kitchens and cloakroom finding nothing. He was just entering the drawing room at the front of the house when a shout came from upstairs. **Oh bugger. What have they found?**

She and Arthur made their way up to the first floor to see the woman standing outside Lucius' study. **Oh dear.**

The woman turned to face Narcissa, "This door is locked, where is the key?"

"That is my husband's study, he must have the key with him."

"Don't you have a spare?"

"No, I do not."

"Where is your husband?"

"I honestly don't know, ever since I awoke this morning I have been dealing with you so I have had little time to discover my husband's whereabouts, however he is a very busy man."

"Well what about the house elf," the woman glanced at Dobby, "You must have to get into the room to clean, how do you get in?"

Narcissa froze, she knew exactly how Dobby got in, there was a passage that ran from Lucius' bedroom to his study, hidden at each end behind sliding panels. The passage was cramped and tiny and Lucius never used it but the enterprising auror could probably have crawled down it if she were determined enough.

"Master Lucius is letting me in when he wants me to clean."

**Good old Dobby!** Narcissa smiled at the woman's annoyed expression, "I'm so sorry, you'll have to wait until my husband gets home and as I don't know when that will be I would suggest you check that room another day."

Arthur Weasley headed back downstairs to check the drawing room and hallway and the woman disappeared into the library with Dobby following her. Narcissa headed up to the second floor to find the young male auror in her study, she cleared her throat and he turned around, looking rather a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. The expression made her want to laugh, but she didn't.

"Everything seems to be in order up here, Mrs Malfoy."

She smiled at him shyly and nodded, playing the sweet little woman who was a little afraid of the strangers in her home but who was being gracious all the same.

He gave her a sympathetic look, "All be over soon, I'm so sorry we've troubled you like this."

"Quite alright," she said softly, following him as he wandered into Draco's room.

"This your son's room then?" he said, turning to face her.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"Just curious, it's very tidy. My two are messy little devils."

"You have children?" she asked, beaming at him as though she could think of nothing more delightful.

"Yeah, Daniel, he's six, and Kathryn, she's eight." He withdrew a picture from an inside pocket in his robes and showed it to her. The two children were dressed up in their best robes but the little boy was pulling a face at the camera and the little girl was laughing at him.

She smiled, touched that the man would carry the photograph around with him, "Draco's nearly thirteen. He's at Hogwarts."

"You must miss him."

"I do, but he likes it there so that makes it easier."

He glanced summarily round Draco's room then said, "Well I think I've seen all I need to up here, so sorry to have troubled you."

"That's quite alright," she led the way down a nearby staircase that took them down into the library on the first floor then out into the corridor. Upon reaching there she found the woman exiting a guest bedroom and she glanced up at Narcissa, a book in her arms.

"There are some rather suspicious books in your library."

"Well, the library is the work of many generations, Lucius and I have contributed little to it I'm afraid and I don't go in there often." **Well, that's a lie. I could tell them where to find pretty much anything in that library.**

"Hmm," the woman narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her.

"Oh, there's always strange stuff in these old libraries, it's not their fault. I just saw the place, it's huge, I bet Mrs Malfoy doesn't know half of what's in there."

Narcissa was delighted to hear the male auror standing up for her, **took you in didn't I?**

The woman seemed to know when she was beaten and they headed downstairs where Arthur Weasley and the Warlock were casting several revealing charms, each of which turned up nothing.

"Those cellars of yours are a bit creepy, didn't like to stay down there long, there were even dungeons down there, why is that?" the warlock asked her curiously but politely.

"Relics of a bygone age, much like the ballroom. We just use the wine cellar really."

"Yes, you have some excellent vintages down there I noticed."

"I wouldn't know, I don't venture down there often I find them a little creepy myself."

They accepted her answer and made no more reference to the dungeons for which she was eternally grateful.

After rescuing the book from the woman, Narcissa offered them a cup of tea, determined to show that she had nothing to hide. Thankfully, they refused and she was able to see them off the premises soon afterwards.

She collapsed with relief into a chair in the drawing room watching them apparate away.

"Dobby!" she called.

He ran in through the door.

"Well done. About the study I mean."

"That is alright, house elves is keeping their families secrets always."

She smiled at him noticing he looked a little guilty as he said this, "I know, but thanks," she said reassuringly.

He nodded and all but ran from the room. **Now that's strange, what on earth's got into him?**

*******

Lucius arrived home a few hours later and was surprisingly pleased with the way she had handled everything. He was, however, outraged that the ministry would dare to raid Malfoy Manor of all places.

"Fools! I'll have somebody's job for this. Did you get their names?"

"They were just doing their job, the ministry won't fire them for that."

"No but they might if I convince them you felt threatened."

"Well I didn't and I don't think you should go looking for revenge. What if they had found the chamber under the drawing room? We don't want to annoy them or they'll come back," she reasoned.

Remarkably, he listened to her and went upstairs to fume in his study leaving her to worry in peace. It was then that an owl flew to the window. She let it in and it deposited a note on the table before flying out again. She looked at the note, all it said was:

December 12th, 4 o'clock at the three broomsticks.

S.S.

*******

Please Review! I will get the next chapter, the first of the Sev chapters, out on either Monday or Tuesday!