AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ok is it just me or has ffnet been down for the entirety of the last two weekends?
Anyway, finally finished this chapter – only a week late! Rewrote it like a zillion times so I hope you like it. It's also the longest yet so hope that makes up for the delay J
Review responses at the end and *jumps up and down like a child* did you see how many reviews I have now? THREE FIGURES PEOPLE! Thank you so much.
And here's chapter fourteen.
Enjoy.
Chapter Fourteen: Here's Where The Story Starts
"Oh my God!" Hermione shrieked, running forward to check on Harry, "what did you do?"
"Nothing Miss Granger," Snape sneered slightly at the accusation and Remus placed a hand on his arm, warning him to keep his temper. "This is what I expected."
"And you just declined to mention it," Pansy was close to tears as she tried to wake Draco up.
"It won't do any good shaking him like that Miss Parkinson. We need to get them to the hospital wing."
"How can you be so calm, so uncaring," Hermione had not turned from Harry so she had not seen the worry in Snape's face as he looked at his unconscious godson, nor did she see the flicker of hurt that rushed across his face at her accusation.
"Hermione, Hermione, look at me," Remus came closer, physically turning her from Harry. "He will be fine, they will be fine. What Professor Snape means is that this is a natural reaction under the circumstances and once both boys are under Madam Pomfrey's care he will be at liberty to explain things far more satisfactorily."
Hermione opened her mouth to argue but Seamus, who had been watching Snape's reactions, cut across her. "Thanks Remus, Professor Lupin. Maybe we should get them upstairs or something."
"Thankyou Seamus," Remus smiled at the boy as Hermione's attention was once again turned on Harry. "Now if I remember correctly there is a passageway in the hall which leads directly to the hospital wing. Potions has always been a risky subject."
Snape conjured stretchers for the two boys as Seamus, Blaise and Remus went into the corridor to find the passageway. Thinking for a moment, as if trying to remember something forgotten long ago, Remus stood in the doorway with his eyes closed before opening them and walking confidently down to a portrait of a potions labratory. He studied the picture for a moment before reaching up and pressing four of the pictured test tubes, one after the other. Slowly the portrait slid sideways to reveal a staircase which wound upwards in large circles.
"Phew," he smiled, "we never had much use for this passage. I'm amazed I remembered the combination to access it."
"Success?" Snape inquired standing in the doorway.
"Indeed," Remus smirked, much to the amazement of the two boys, "now tell me the maurderers were pointless."
"I never said you were pointless," Snape began before recollecting himself and flushing slightly. "Fine, can we go?"
"After you," they stepped a side and the stretchers carrying Harry and Draco floated upstairs, the party of seven trailing behind.
***
The infirmary was empty and Madam Pomfrey was relishing the fact. It was, she thought as she surveyed the empty beds around her, nothing short of a miracle. Usually something happened to upset things, usually involving Harry Potter. Poor boy does attract these things.
Of course, just as she was reflecting with satisfaction on this unexpected free time the door opened and Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy floated in on stretchers, followed by Professors Lupin and Snape, who were avoiding all eye contact and Granger, Finnigan, Parkinson and Zabini, who had taken the unprecedented step of being able to enter the infirmary together without the usual string of accusations and arguments. And if this was not shock enough, the group was concluded with Narcissa Malfoy, still clad in her muggle outfit.
"Severus? Remus? What on earth happened," she inquired as she rushed over to examine the two boys, who had settled onto adjacent beds.
"Severus was studying the de-aging potion with his class," Remus began before Snape cut him off.
"I am perfectly capable of explaining myself, Lupin," but the sneering comment no longer had the same effect on the listening students, knowing as they did that it was not hatred that lay underneath the interaction. As Snape continued they exchanged amused glances. "Potter and Malfoy took the de-aging potion yesterday, Poppy, and were re-aged ten minutes ago."
"Merlin, Severus, how could you let them spend so long under that potion. We discussed this."
"I assure you I did not let them do anything. I was not present at the time, and no matter what you think of me, I am not capable of force feeding a child, regardless of the fact that they will not remember it later."
"Yes, well," she pursed her lips, clearing determining to take this up again later. "As you know there is really nothing I can do…"
"What!" this somewhat alarming statement caused all four students to panic slightly.
"…they should begin to wake in a few hours. It is simply a case of waiting."
Hermione sighed in relief and returned to Harry's side. Maybe it was a consequence of the last two days, or of the last six years, but she could not help mothering him and she sat beside him, stroking his hair and holding his hand much as Narcissa was with Draco. Pansy moved to her side and spoke quietly to her.
"They'll be alright you know."
"I know that, but it doesn't stop you worrying, does it?"
"No." After a pause Pansy continued, "though I think I'm more worried about what happens next. As much as I want Draco to wake up…"
"…it comes with a lot of uncertainty."
"Exactly. Not least of all, what do we tell them and what do we tell everyone else."
"I know. I'm hoping Snape will tell us what to do."
"Gryffindor's relying on Snape. Whatever next."
Hermione laughed, ceasing abruptly as her gaze fell on Draco.
"Yes, what next?"
They stood in silence again, and the room was silent. Suddenly the two patient's breathing seemed very loud, as did the sound of the pages turning in Pomfrey's book.
"What did you know, before this happened?"
"About what?"
"Snape, Narcissa, Harry and Draco. Anything."
"Hardly anything. Something happened before school started, I think, because Draco was … different to Snape, no longer so cautious. And my mother mentioned something once, about Narcissa being friend's with Po-Harry's mother. But I think there is so much out there that we haven't been told, that maybe we will never be told."
"I know. Looking at them, Snape and Remus I mean, that alone is enough to show that Sirius left some major things out when he was telling us about the past."
Pansy nodded in agreement before she registered what Hermione had said, "Sirius?"
"Shit," Hermione's swearing caused Pansy to start in surprise but the head girl failed to notice, so caught up was she in her slip. "I…we…what I mean to say is…"
"It's ok. You don't need to tell me," Pansy could not disguise the hurt in her voice. No matter what had happened over the last two days Hermione was still Gryffindor and she was a Slytherin.
"No, it's not that," Hermione's expression was so honest that Pansy could not help smiling back, "it's just that it's not my secret to tell. Remus," she raised her voice slightly and the werewolf turned to face her, "how long are they going to be…asleep. Because we need to talk, and we need to know what to do." There was a note of desperation in her voice which stood out so markedly from her usual self confidence that even Snape noticed it.
"Quite, Miss Granger. I estimate that they will be unconscious for several hours yet, so if you can stand to leave Potter's bedside I suggest we retire to my classroom where we can talk more freely."
Bristling slightly at his caviler attitude towards Harry when he was so clearly concerned about Draco, Hermione merely nodded her agreement and they made as if to leave the room.
"You will alert us if they begin to wake, Poppy," Remus asked as they left.
"Of course, where will you be?"
"My classroom," Snape began before he was cut off.
"We will be in my quarters," Remus smiled at the medi-witch and they left the room.
Snape's snort of protest was clearly audible in the silence, as was Remus' reply.
"It's far more comfy in there than your laboratory Sev, and far closer to the infirmary."
Snape made no further protest and the four students marvelled once again at the dynamic between the two as they made their way to Remus' rooms.
***
Remus' quarters were made up of three rooms: bedroom, bathroom and sitting area. Hermione had begun looking around for a kitchen before laughingly realising that there was no need for one, for if a member of staff wanted anything he could contact the house elves or, in Remus' case, visit the kitchens himself.
The sitting room was large and cozy, the requisite fire burning in the hearth and numerous sofas around it. There was also a low table in the centre, and a large desk under a window overlooking the Quidditch pitch. Scattered around the room were numerous books and sheets of parchment and upon entering Snape tutted silently and moved without thinking to tidy them up before blushing slightly and sitting down, trying unsuccessfully not to look too at home.
Sensing that now was not the right time to tease his mate, Remus allowed Narcissa to sit with Severus, while he sat on an adjoining sofa and the four students took the remaining seats.
"Well, I guess I promised you an explanation Miss Granger," Snape began, sounding tired, "though I'm not sure where to begin."
"'Let's start at the very beginning,'" Narcissa quoted softly and without thinking Hermione added, "that's a very good place to start."
"That it is. I guess the beginning is my first day at school," Narcissa's hands were twisting distractedly in her lap as she spoke, "I did not know anyone, well not really, and I was walking down the train when I saw a compartment with only one other occupant. It seemed a whole lot less scary that the fuller compartments I had passed so I steeled my self and went in."
As she spoke her mind went back to that day nearly thirty years ago.
FLASHBACK
"Can I sit with you," Narcissa half whispered the request.
"Sure," a tear stained face was turned to hers. "I must look a mess. It feels strange leaving my family."
"I know what you mean. I've been away from home before, but not for this long."
"Exactly. And it's only been the four of us at home and Petunia, that's my sister, always looks after me if we go out. Now I'm on my own."
"I'm an only child. I would've liked a sister. Your family, are they like us, magic I mean."
"No, they're, oh what was the word the Professor used…?"
"Muggles?"
"Yeah, that's the one. I suppose it makes it easier to label them as something."
"I suppose. My family have always been magical," Narcissa's voice held more than a hint of pride as she spoke.
"Oh," the girl seemed somewhat unimpressed, "well, I'm Lily, by the way, Lily Evans."
"Narcissa Birch."
"Well Narcissa Birch, tell me, what do wizards do on long train rides?"
END FLASHBACK
"We talked for the whole train ride, just the simple, surface stuff that you exchange when you've first met someone, but I liked her. When we got to Hogwarts we were sorted into different houses, Lily into Gryffindor, me into Ravenclaw. The houses weren't so far apart back then, the rivalry grounded in friendship rather than distrust. As such I retained Lily's friendship. Over the years Voldemort grew in strength and the houses became more insular and almost all cross-house friendships failed. Except Lily and I. She is, was very loyal, and refused to give me up despite pressure from housemates. When she became James Potter's girlfriend she had a virtual carte blanche to do as she would, despite my position as Lucius' girlfriend. The rivalry between James and Lucius was as fierce as the one I hear of between Harry and Draco, maybe more so." Here she broke off and looked over at Snape and Lupin. Lupin merely nodded before looking at Snape.
"Oh what the hell! You son's already blurted out more details of my life in one sitting than most people find out in years. Go ahead."
"As you've probably guessed, Remus and Severus are ma-partners. They started dating in our fifth year, much to the disgust of, well if I'm being honest, almost everyone. It was not a match people could see coming."
"Lily did," Snape interjected, before waving his hand to encourage her to continue.
"Yes, quite. Well Remus' friends were somewhat concerned with the match and Sirius Black was violently opposed to it. His sister had been married to Severus' brother, you see, and he had treated her badly. As far as Sirius was concerned Severus was just a younger version of his brother, and Remus was setting himself up to be as much of a victim as his sister had been. So, in one of his less bright moves he decided to show Severus that Remus could take care of himself."
"The shrieking shack," Hermione whispered.
"Yes. As you know, Remus is a werewolf and one full moon Sirius managed to place Severus in the wolf's path. James found out and rescued him, but it only added fuel to the fire as far as Gryffindor-Slytherin relations were concerned."
"Ok this is where I'm having a problem," Blaise interrupted. "We're having a conversation with Sirius Black in and no one is pretending he wasn't part of the Gryffindor inner circle, or that he wasn't James Potter's best friend."
"More like his other half," Remus smiled at the memory and as neither he nor Snape seemed inclined to elaborate, Hermione took up the story.
"Well, this is just a side note, and we haven't got that far in the narrative, but I suppose, since Re-Professor Lupin isn't saying anything to the contrary that I can tell you this. First a question. How much do you know of Voldemort's inner circle? More particularly a smallish man with a silver hand."
"Ugh," Pansy shuddered, "I think I know the man you mean. Really creepy man, Wormtail I think he's called."
"Yes, that's the one. Well that man was also part of the Gryffidnor inner circle, as you called it, and was Lily and James Potter's secret keeper. The name you know him by is one given to him by his best friends, based on the animagus form they helped him acquire. He is more commonly known as Peter Pettigrew."
"Huh?"
"The story that everyone knows is true. Sirius Black was chosen by James Potter to be his secret keeper, only Sirius was of the opinion that he was by far the most obvious choice and as such Voldemort would simply seek him out. As such Sirius convinced them to change their secret keeper and Peter Pettigrew, as the weakest member of the quartet, was the perfect bluff. However Pettigrew had been passing information to Voldermort for over a year and was able to use this as the final proof of his loyalty. He gave up his friends to Voldemort and Sirius arrived at Godric's Hollow too late. He persued Pettigrew, leading to the showdown that everyone knows about. However it was Pettigrew who blew up the street, cut off his own finger and escaped in his animagus form. Sirius went to Azkaban without trial, Harry was sent to live with his muggle relatives…" Hermione trailed off here, unwilling to contemplate how many more lives may have been lost had Peter Pettigrew not betrayed his friends and led Voldemort to his eventual downfall.
"Sorry to dwell on this, but wasn't Professor Lupin part of the quartet too? Why didn't they use him, you sir?"
A dark look crossed Snape's face and his tone was bitter, "oh no they couldn't use him. He was far too compromised for pure Gryffindor's-"
"Severus!" Remus sounded angrier than either of the Slytherins and Seamus had ever heard before. Taking a moment to calm himself he then continued, "it was known that there was a spy on our side, and it was assumed that it was someone close to the Potters. Sirius was too trustworthy, Peter too weak to be contemplated and thus I was one of the more plausible choices as spy. Added to that was my situation as a werewolf and as the mate of a Slytherin, one whose family was known to support Voldermort…it was an environment that I hope you'll never have to live through, and thus one that you can never really understand."
They fell silent as Remus finished talking, Snape clearly fuming inwardly about something that had happened nearly twenty years ago. Finally Narcissa resumed her narrative.
"But as Hermione says, that is the future. By my seventh year the external situation was worsening every day and Hogwarts stood in microcosm of that. Lucius and James Potter were fighting daily and their relations stood as an example for the rest of their housemates. The school was divided and, with the exception of family ties, the only cross-house interaction of a positive kind was between Lily and I, and Remus and Severus."
"This is all well and good as far as scene setting goes 'Cissa, but I was there, and I remember seeing Draco as a child and the boy I've seen over the last two days was vastly different," Snape cut in, sounding calmer now.
"In what ways Professor," Hermione looked as if she wanted to be taking notes as she turned her gaze onto her potions professor.
"He was far more…advanced, is the only word I can think of to describe it. Aside from his somewhat disturbing predisposition for protecting and befriending Potter, the Draco I remember was less friendly, less open, less communicative and certainly without any healing skills. And while I am aware that at least some of that can be put down to Lucius' absence…"
"…no you're right Severus," Narcissa sighed slightly, "it was always like that. If I skip forward a few years in my story…After Hogwarts, and our marriages, Lily and I kept in touch. James knew he could not stop her from seeing me, and Lucius either did not know or pretended not to know that I still saw her. There are ten months between Draco and Harry, to the day, and we would encourage them to play together. But you are right, together they were more advanced than separately. And later, after Lily died, I would bring Draco to visit Harry. A friend of the mine, Arabella Figg, lived in the same street as Harry's muggle relatives and she would offer to baby-sit him and that's where we would see him. For four years Draco and I saw Harry at least once a week. I saw him grow up, I saw him hurt by his cousin and I saw my son treat him as a brother. And I saw him as my son, the last remnant of my friendship with Lily.
"But why the risk, to see Lily and then to keep seeing Harry," Hermione wondered out loud before Pansy spoke for the first time since Narcissa started.
"You did something, didn't you. Something that made the risk more…necessary or acceptable or something."
Narcissa flushed slightly as she met Severus' eye and gave a decisive "yes. I did."
"What did you do 'Cissa?"
"In our seventh year, with a week left Lily and I decided we did not want to give up our friendship. James and Lucius were fighting as usual and we decided, oh the irony of it," she gave a bitter laugh, "we decided we didn't want our children to fight like that. We wanted them to be friends, like we were. We wanted to be able to keep our friendship. I found a spell, a spell to encourage our first born to want to be friends. And it was working too. Together they were far more…together than they were in the presence of other children. Anywhere else and they were normal, like other kids their age, but together, together they shone."
Throughout this final speech her voice was becoming increasingly hysterical and finally she began to sob quietly and Snape pulled her into his arms and stroked her hair softly. As her sobs slowed and her body stopped shaking the tension in the room lifted and everyone waited, unsure what to say.
"I don't know the rest," Narcissa was speaking softly now, "all I know is that when Draco reached five Lucius began to show an interest in his son, began to spend time with him, teach him things. I was unable to take him away with me and he grew away from me into someone I didn't know, someone whom I almost did not like. Sometimes my son would show through, in a word or a look, but most of the time I did not have a child in my house, but a stranger, an adult who wore my son's face. Until this summer."
Now a light shone in Narcissa's eyes, and a proud smile spread across her face.
"I came into the sitting room in the main wing of the house to find Draco and Lucius sitting together looking serious. Draco had his wand trained on his father and did not even look around when I entered…" As Narcissa told the four incredulous students what had happened that summer she was replaying events in her head.
FLASHBACK
"Hello mother," Draco said coolly without turning around. "As you can see father and I are having something of a parting of the ways and I am afraid I am going to have to ask you a serious question."
"Yes Draco?"
"Where do you stand mother? I flatter myself that I know you well enough as to be certain of the answer but I have to ask. Are you with Voldemort in this war?"
"Draco?" Narcissa's heart sank. 'How can he be so certain I am with Voldemort?' "I think you maybe wrong in your opinion of me. I do not side with Voldemort and I never will. Where does that place me in your estimation now?"
Had she been watching her son she would have seen the dejected slump that took his body at her first words be replaced as she denounced Voldemort.
"I am thrilled to see I had not misjudged you mother. Unfortunately I had also correctly judged father and as such am expecting some visitors in the next minute or so, so you may wish to stand clear of the fireplace."
No sooner had she moved than people began to floo in thorough the fireplace. Soon the room was filled with several auror's, Professor Dumbledore and, finally, Professor Snape.
"I give you my father, and my mother, I am sure, gives you access to out house," Draco addressed Dumbledore in a formal manner, cold civility disguising any other emotion he might be feeling. As the aurors searched the house for further evidence against Lucius Malfoy Narcissa watched her son, wanting to talk to him, comfort him, but not knowing where to start.
In the five hours in which their visitors remained Narcissa only saw her son's façade waver once. Severus Snape was the only person in the room with them at the time and he walked up to Draco, placing one hand on his shoulder.
"You have done an amazing thing here today, Draco."
"And you are really on my side?"
"I am with the order and you, Draco Malfoy, are on our side."
Had she known her son better Narcissa would have been certain he was close to tears as he buried himself in his godfather's arms, staying there until Dumbledore re-entered.
As soon as the door opened Draco pulled away from his godfather and stood alone and erect in the centre of the room.
"I trust your search has been fruitful, Professor Dumbledore."
"Indeed it has. I thank you once again for your assistance," Dumbledore replied, meeting civility with civility, only his eyes betraying the concern he felt for his student. "For your own safety we will conceal your role in this for as long as possible. We belief that it is best if those who need to know believe that your mother was responsible for surrendering Lucius, the rest can think that we caught him, or he surrendered as they will."
"Fine," it was a curt dismissal and Dumbledore took it.
Several floo trips later and Narcissa and Draco were once again alone.
"Did you believe I thought you sided with Voldemort?" Draco eventually broke the silence.
"Yes. I do not know how you came to know I felt differently."
"I didn't know," he smiled at her, the first true smile she had received from him in many years. "Mrs Parkinson led us, led me to hope, and it was not in vain."
"Oh," she could not think of anything to say and silence fell between them for a few more minutes until Draco flopped into a chair and his head fell into his hands.
"Oh God, what have I done?" he whispered, "I've just betrayed my father. I am a traitor, I've become a traitor."
"Oh baby," Narcissa knelt in front of him and forcibly lifted his head to face her, "it is not treacherous if you have not chosen a side."
"I am his son, is that not a choice?"
"No. If it helps, you are my son, and I never, ever chose to support Voldemort."
"Good," suddenly his arms were around he neck and his face burried in her shoulder. He was hugging her! She raised her arms and pulled him closer, stroking his hair.
"Draco, my dear boy, what have you been putting yourself through," she whispered, not really expecting an answer.
"Seven levels of hell. Maybe, maybe we can talk about it. We could maybe have dinner in here," he was reaching out to her, apprehension in his voice and she pulled away slightly so she could meet his gaze.
"I would love nothing more than to finally get to know you." They exchanged smiles and Narcissa pulled him close once more, "can I ask one thing now?"
"Of course, Maman."
"You haven't called me that it years," she was welling up now but refused to cry already, "ok, my one question. Why now? What happened to make you act now?"
"I've been thinking about it for awhile, all summer really. But really it had to be now. Any earlier and he would have gone to Azkaban with the dementors, any later and he would have been killed in the war. Now was the safest time."
END FLASHBACK
"He loved his father enough to chose his time carefully. My son grew up all around me and I didn't even notice."
"Wow," Hermione was first to recover at the news of what Draco had done over the summer. "Can I ask something."
"I'm sure you are more than capable," Narcissa smiled at the girl, "but yes, you may."
"Ok, this is probably going to sound really rude but here goes. If you never supported Voldemort how on earth did you end up married to Lucius Malfoy? Was it an arranged marriage or something?"
"Oh no. That's the punch line to this whole tale. The sad thing is that Cornelius Fudge and myself were probably the only too people in the wizarding world to truly believe that Lucius had no connection to the Death Eaters. It's not the greatest claim to fame, but it's all I have."
"If it helps any," Hermione smiled at her, "the muggles have a saying. 'Love is blind.' Simple but fitting."
"Well, I was certainly blind. I believed his claims to being under Imperius and I ignored what I could not reason away when he began teaching Draco the dark arts. I received a nasty shock when I entered the living room to find Lucius, Wormtail and Voldemort sitting there, the latter two looking disturbingly at home."
Silence descended once again, even Hermione having nothing else to ask. Shouts could be heard outside the window as the Gryffindor Quidditch team took to the skies for their first practice of the year.
"What do we tell them?" Seamus asked as he watched the team practice.
"You lie," Snape replied in a tone which brooked no argument. "I believe that their current state of unconsciousness is caused by the bodies attempts to forget the memories stirred up by the potion. That is why you were meant to change them back instantly. As you grow up you forget your early years, no one really knows why. The mind has chosen to forget these things and any unnatural resurrection of them through potions will be corrected by the mind. The short period of time any of the class at large was under the potion meant that the mind did not have much to discard, but it will have to work much harder for Potter and Draco. Once they have forgotten what they must forget they will regain consciousness. In this case it is all too clear to see the consequences of retaining this new information. Neither boy is equipped to deal with the knowledge that they were friends, nor will they want to deal with it. This would cause a conflict within them which could prove damaging, though this is merely a worst case scenario."
Snape had barely finished speaking when there was a popping noise and Madam Pomfrey's head appeared in the fire.
"They are beginning to awaken," she said, disappearing as quickly as she arrived.
END CHAPTER FOURTEENWell that's that.
From now on I'll update every Monday and if I miss one I'll just wait until the next week.
Review responses:
Croc2502@hotmail.com: no I don't mind at all. And at some point I'll put your version in the real fic, if I feel confident that I can do it without messing everything up! And glad you like the fic J
Sapphire: glad you liked it.
Esaure: glad you like Narcissa! And looking forward to fan art *blushes at mere thought*
Mrs Tom Riddle: ok, so you're Mrs Voldie?! Glad you like it anyway.
momma-dar: *blushes profusely* Afraid reactions are in chapter fifteen. Glad you're enjoying the story.
Pam Briggs: Glad you like my little offering to the world of fan fiction.
Cassie: thanks.
Jaded*Secrets: extra thick? I'll take that as a compliment I think. Glad you like it anyway. And yeah, somehow the whole fact that this was going to be slash got lost – I obviously forgot to mention it!
Kimmy: bet you think I'm even meaner now! Nah, I really don't speak French! Found a translation site and couldn't resist.
Cassa-Andra: ah, thanks J Well some of that stuff comes up next chapter, the rest in the chapter after that. Hope you can wait.
Ionis: yeah I liked that chapter too. I think my favourite one is still to come – it's the one I was basing the fic around, kind of. And so glad you like Sev/Re. I love them together.
ShaeLynn: now, now! No assumptions. And I can be even more evil that this J
AjaKe: well…atleast you *do* like it.
Heat Wave on Ice: great name! And as before, I can be more evil! Promise.
Immortalis_Vespers: thank you! Thank you!
Silvrei: I'm not telling! Plus I don't really get the second bit about being mentally children? You mean just in grown up bodies?
Twisted Crimson: more added. Glad you liked the last chapter.
PeachDancer82: ah thanks.
NayNymic: show off! No I don't really speak French. Well, I speak enough to get by in France, but the stuff in the fic was via a translation site. I just wanted to put it in! And as for the slash…it will come, I can say that much. But in all fairness they've only just started to wake up.
Wintermoon: me neither! Well, I honestly didn't think of that, in all probability Hermione was quick thinking enough to magic them new clothes, but you can have them Hulk-like if you wish.
Slice: I've said it before and I'll say it again. I can be more evil! Glad you like the fic and embarrassed Sev. He'll be around a lot I think.
Jade Maxwell: well kids can be like that. Yeah I'm quite fond of fanon Narcissa. Glad you like it – and yeay for a long review again. And no one seems to know about Lily and Petunia so I can do what I want with them. Yeay! Ok, that sounds bad…
Sparkler: thanks J
Silver: ah, thanks.