Disclaimer: I just own the plot!

Review Responses:

ilovesporks - Ron and Draco were nice to each other, or at least tolerant of each other, because Draco was still in shock and therefore not in the mood to think up clever insults (Particularly not when he and his mother had just been rescued partly by Ron's father and elder brother) and Ron actually felt sympathetic, that and being mean to Draco would have meant bringing down the wrath of Molly on himself and I don't think anyone's brave enough to risk that! lol! Still, I take your point they are a bit out of character but then to get those two too be pleasant you need them to be and Draco is changing. The will's in this chapter yes and we find out what became of poor Dippy. There will be more Sev/Narcissa fluff in the future, I love writing that! Ooh, you should post your story, it sounds interesting. Thanks for the review and sorry for the long wait for the update!

Bonezz - I'm sure we can get you a promotion from Lucius, he's a reasonable man underneath it all I'm sure! lol! I love writing mush! It's difficult where Sev's involved though as he has to stay in character but there will be more of it! Send me the story ID it sounds interesting, I know what it's like to not get many reviews, it took forever for people to start reviewing Wedding Bells. Thanks for the review!

Averill - glad you liked the last few chapters, I love Molly and Arthur too! Chess just seemed a good way for Draco and Ron to bond a bit, I had to have two of my favourite characters being friends of sorts! Thanks for the good luck wishes and for the review!

Luna Project - I hope everything's alright, you mentioned something bad happening, are you ok? Don't worry about getting a bit mixed up about who killed who, I probably could have made it clearer. Ron so has a heart of gold! I love that boy so much! He's also very forgiving, well and very intimidated by Molly Weasley! LOL! About Draco apologising, he won't in words but that's all I can say for now(*hint, hint, watch this space!*). Molly Weasley is a wonder! She's just such a good mother! Someone certainly spent a bit more time on her! I liked Percy in that chapter, I still love him to bits and I'm glad you liked him, which reminds me I loved your Percy fic! But what a place to finish it! Did his family take him back? What am I saying, of course they did, who could turn Percy away? Glad you liked the chess scene and all the Sev and Narcissa stuff, he is a wonderful man and a great friend! Evelyn is awful isn't she? At least Owen's sweet, and Narcissa's going to have to get used to the fact that people don't tend to connect her with anything good! It's the end of the investigation into Lucius' death but Narcissa still has a fourteen year old perjury charge to answer! Woops! Draco hadn't fully recovered from the shock, he didn't know how to deal and needed his mum, the dear boy. Go Molly and Sev! They'll keep Narcissa from going crazy! I suppose I do need a sweet ending sometimes, this one's kind of sad again! I love those lyrics but I haven't heard the song before, they do fit rather well! Thanks for the allez translation, I got your e-mail about the stories and I've been reading them! I really like your poem! And thank you so much for writing the Percy story! I'll say more about them though when I review them! Love your reviews, thanks!

K.A. Maples - Glad you're enjoying the story, thanks for the review!

Dark Comet - Ron does rule! Though not as much as Sev. As for getting caught, well read on and see, lol! Dippy's back and she'll be alright, I'm getting oddly fond of that odd little creature! As for introducing her to Hermione she'd probably be horrified at the idea of house elf rights but that would be a funny meeting! Don't think it'll happen though. I'm getting to like uni, still settling in really but I've met some nice people and I think my course looks really good. Draco and Sevvie bonding will be here soon, I love it too! Thanks for the review!

Samson - There aren't enough Sev and Narcissa pairings out there! Thanks for the very complimentary review and I do apologise for the wait for this chapter!

If I Never Lost You - Glad you liked the story, I'm finding uni fun, thanks for the review and the encouragement!

PrincessJedi - Glad you liked the chapters, the next is finally here! Thanks for the review!

I Found a Little Courage to Call it Off

**Narcissa's Thoughts**

***Severus' Thoughts***

A/N: So very sorry for the wait but I've had issues getting onto the internet, you see I've had to wait for a computer login name and then I've been rather busy sorting out my course details and I had a lot of review responses to write so I've posted this chapter as soon as I could. Again, very sorry, probably should have foreseen there being as longer wait than I'd promised but I didn't realise I'd have to wait for a computer login name and password.

Chapter 8

The next day Narcissa was woken early by Molly and Severus, who was still sat with her on the sofa. She left before Draco was awake, deciding to let him sleep, and headed for the manor. Severus accompanied her but when the lawyer and the aurors arrived she sent him away. "Really Sev, I'll be fine."

"Are you sure you're up to this?"

"Yes. Now go and do whatever it is potions masters do in the holidays! Actually, before you go let me gather some of Draco's things together and you can drop them off at the burrow for me. He's been wearing the same robes for the last two days he can't wear them again!"

Owen escorted her upstairs and approved her packing of a small bag of essentials for her son. "Mr. Green, I don't suppose it would be ok to take his broomstick, I mean I know it isn't essential but he needs something to take his mind off everything!"

Owen smiled, "Of course Mrs Malfoy, you take it, in fact you can take anything you like from his room, I doubt Lucius hid anything in here!"

**I wouldn't have put it past him!** "Thanks." Narcissa packed a couple of books and passed the bag and broomstick to Severus, "Can you take these to the burrow for me?"

"Of course, if you need me just..."

"I won't! I can cope, honestly. Besides they'll be plenty for you to help me with when they've done with the raid, I don't even know what's going to happen to the house yet."

Severus nodded and left.

"Mrs Malfoy!" a piercing shriek came from downstairs, "I though you were supposed to be helping us!"

"I'm coming," she called.

"Don't mind Evelyn," Owen grinned, "She's just dying for a promotion!"

*******

Severus arrived at the Burrow feeling a little nervous, he and Draco had had no chance to speak since Lucius' death and he had no idea how the child felt towards him with regards to that issue. He had the oddest feeling though that Narcissa had asked him to take Draco's things to him for the express purpose of finding out.

He knocked on the door and was let in by Ginny, who he was not in the best of moods with as he had awoken that morning to find her cooing over how sweet he and Narcissa were in the way they'd fallen asleep together on the sofa. He glared at her but it had little effect, apparently once you let people realise you have a heart they become more difficult to intimidate!

"Is Draco up yet?" he snapped.

"Yeah, though he's still sat in pyjamas because mum says his robes need washing and they're not dry yet. He's in the kitchen having breakfast."

Severus nodded and swept past the irritating young redhead to the kitchen. Draco was sat at one end of the table reading the Daily Prophet while Percy was berating the twins at the other end, from what Severus gathered they appeared to have switched his coffee with a mug of steaming hot liquid mud.

Draco glanced up and smiled a little, "Hello Professor."

"Good Morning, how did you sleep?"

"Not too badly thanks."

"Would you like a tea or coffee professor?" Percy asked, still glaring at the twins who were wearing their best innocent expressions.

"Thank you, coffee would be..." he trailed off, remembering what he had just overheard about Percy's own coffee, "I'll have a cup of tea."

Percy stood up to pour some and the twins used the opportunity to escape. Sensing that Draco and his professor needed some time to talk Percy set the tea down and made a tactful retreat from the kitchen.

"I've brought you some things from your mother, there's some clothes and toiletries and a couple of books and I've brought your broomstick."

"Great, thanks professor."

"That's alright, it was no problem."

"How's the raid going?"

"It hadn't really started when I left, the ministry's arrived as has your and your mother's lawyer and I think they should have started by now. It'll probably take a few days."

Draco nodded and went back to staring at the paper, "We made the front page again, 'Ministry begins search of Malfoy Manor.'"

"The papers will forget all about it in a few days, a bigger story will come along, it always does."

Draco smiled but looked doubtful. "They keep expressing their sympathy with me, but I'm not the one he hurt! I didn't want any of this to happen!" he sighed.

Draco caught sight of the guilt that crossed his Professor's face, "I know he was a terrible person, it's just, no matter what he did, he was still my father. I don't blame you, and I don't blame mum, I don't blame anyone. I just don't feel good about it."

"No one's asking you to," Severus said comfortingly.

"I know. You did the right thing, I mean I know you didn't mean to hurt him like that..." Draco seemed to run out of things to say and instead gave Severus a weak smile. "None of it's your fault, I just didn't want you thinking that I blamed you for any of it."

Severus smiled, "You know I'd understand if you felt angry with me."

"I don't." He laughed suddenly, "You should see what they're writing about you in the papers! They love you! You're our saviour apparently!"

Severus groaned, ***My students will never respect me again!***

Draco just laughed harder than ever.

*******

Narcissa had finally managed to find Dippy who'd been hiding in an attic crying. It turned out she had heard the fight and been afraid and only gone to investigate when things had quietened down, when she'd found her master dead. She'd gone to hide when she heard the ministry arriving and hadn't left the attic since.

Narcissa took her down to the kitchens and gave her a hot cup of tea, even though Dippy didn't seem very comfortable with being served by the woman she was meant to be serving. She hiccupped every now again muttering, "Poor Master Malfoy!"

**Well, I think I've found one person who's going to miss him.** Narcissa left Dippy to her mourning and went back to where the ministry were attempting to open the chamber under the drawing room. She had offered to do it for them but Evelyn had insisted she could manage! Of course she couldn't and eventually she allowed Narcissa to do it, scowling when she opened it with ease.

Narcissa didn't gloat as she might have done as she saw the dangers of being on the wrong side of the ministry, they hadn't yet addressed the perjury she'd committed fourteen years before but she could tell they hadn't forgotten it.

*******

That night Narcissa got back to the Burrow, utterly exhausted, to find Draco and the Weasleys were playing quidditch in the small paddock they owned. She smiled and sat down to have tea with Molly and Arthur. She assumed Percy was working late at the ministry but he came in soon after with his brothers and sister and Draco, sporting a couple of grass stains and looking a little sheepish when the three adults turned to look at him. "They needed someone to even up the teams!" he said defensively and left the room as quickly as possible while Fred and George cackled with laughter.

"Imagine, Perfect Percy having fun with the commoners!" Fred snorted.

"Scandalous!" George exclaimed before they both started laughing again.

Draco hugged his mother, "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine sweetheart."

"How are things going at the Manor?"

"Alright, it'll take a few days yet but they haven't encountered any difficulties. It has to be said though, they certainly don't seem averse to making a mess of the place! It'll take some work to sort it all out after they've done! I'm going back again tomorrow. Draco, come outside I want to talk to you for a minute."

"Ok," he followed her out of the back door.

"Draco, sooner or later decisions will have to be made regarding the manor, whether we go back there or not I mean."

"You mean, you don't want to go home?" he sounded puzzled.

"I wasn't sure whether you would after everything that had happened. We could sell up and move somewhere else if you wanted."

"I want to go home!" he said decisively.

She smiled, "Then we'll go home." **At least there's one decision I don't have to deal with.**

*******

It was indeed several days before the manor was pronounced safe to enter again, the ministry had removed everything unsavoury of Lucius' and had completed a thorough search of the house on every level. Dippy had calmed down and was feeling better at the prospect of the work that would have to be done to clean up after the raid.

Lucius' funeral was held a few days later in the rain; Narcissa insisted that it be private, family only. There was only herself and Draco, with Severus there for support and Dippy weeping inconsolably.

Lucius was buried quickly in the Malfoy family tomb. Narcissa knew she had annoyed many by banning them from the funeral but she refused to allow the Death Eaters a podium to speak of Lucius and their ideals. She also did not fancy the idea of having the Daily Prophet running a media circus.

She didn't cry, merely tossed a single white lily onto the coffin, "They were the flowers in my wedding bouquet, I had all these superstitious people telling me that I shouldn't use them because they were flowers for a funeral, perhaps they were right."

Severus slipped an arm through hers, offering silent support. Draco just stared at the tomb not saying a word throughout the entire affair. Afterwards she found that he was no longer with them and turned back to see him still standing there with tears running down his face, mingling with the raindrops. Narcissa walked back and put an arm around his shoulders; he instantly threw his arms around her and sobbed in her embrace.

The three of them made their way back to the Burrow where Molly began to fuss over Narcissa and Draco, forcing hot tea down them and sending them both to bed early that evening.

*******

Next update will be in a few days, probably this weekend!

Next chapter, the ministry finally deal with Narcissa's perjury and Draco gives Severus a bit of a shock!

Please Review!!