Yes, yes, yes, it's Draco. How many other white ferrets do we know?

And Harry isn't OOC he's Depressed!Harry. Wouldn't you be depressed, too?

Life's Surprises

Chapter 3

Severus sat in Malfoy mansion, his head between his knees, hand clutching at his forearm. Narcissa stood in the entrance to the room, the Library, watching him, the silver tea tray balanced in her hands. She couldn't help but be touched by his posture, the obvious pain he was in. He was being summoned, she knew. She had seen Lucius react the same way many times. Though, of course, he hadn't resisted. He was loyal to the Dark Lord.

Narcissa was loathe to admit that that title was said with the greatest distaste in her mind, now. Whatever she felt for him, the fear had to come first. The fear would keep her alive. She made her way over to Severus, placing a hand on his shoulder, after setting the tea tray down carefully on the desk in front of him. He reacted violently, flaring up, and for a moment Narcissa feared that he would bite her, he seemed that animalistic, but then his eyes softened, and he shook.

"Narcissa… I… not much longer…" he stuttered, eyelids fluttering.

Narcissa grimaced. She slid her hand up Severus's bony arm, pushing the sleeve up to reveal his Dark Mark. It glowed red upon his skin. She raised her wand, ready to utter a pain killing spell. Severus grabbed her wrist, shaking his head violently.

"No… he can tell." He grasped her wrist harder, pulling herself up, causing her to nearly topple over. "We have to do this now," He told her, voice tremoring, but Narcissa could tell that he was regaining control. For now. Until the pain worsened…

"Yes. We have to go this now," She agreed. She glanced at the tea tray, with the regret of one who keeps a home. It was a waste of tea, and dishes… but this wasn't the time. She knew that every second Severus wasted helping her; he was undoing the favor he had gained by killing the Dark Lord's most worthy adversary, Dumbledore. Narcissa had been unsure what side Severus really was on… but that had sealed it in her mind. He was a loyal servant. Still…he loved Draco. And that was a blessing.

She looked down onto the prone body of her son, lying on the floor. She had knocked him out, just moments before, when Severus and he had come toppling through the window on what seemed to be a very old broom. She had stunned him, and Severus had told her everything.

She still didn't completely understand. But what she knew was that although her son was alive now, he was not safe. She looked up at Severus, trustingly.

He nodded at her, pulling out his wand. She did the same. "Together, now," he said, quietly.

"1….2….3…Transformeo!" They said together.

At first, there was no discernable change. Concerned, Narcissa knelt beside her son. She stroked his forehead, brushing away his blonde hair. She rocked back, shocked. On his forehead was a spatter of blood. It was shaped like a lightning bolt.

She reached back down to wipe it away, but as she did, vanished, the red melting into pure white fur. He began shrinking, the fur crawling over his entire body, stopping finally at the tip of the tail he had sprouted. Narcissa gently picked him up, cradling him in her arms as if he was a baby.

Severus stood over her, reaching out a hand to pet Draco gently, ruffling his white fur. "A ferret. Just like the one which fake Mad-Eye turned him into in his forth year. It makes sense… He's been in this shape before, so he gravitated toward it naturally." He looked up, staring into Narcissa's eyes, connected by their love of the boy she held in her arms. "Where can we hide him…? If the Dark Lord finds him like this, he's sure to know."

Narcissa could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, tears of doubt, and fear, but when she spoke her voice was strong. "I know. I know where he will be safe."

Voldemort himself came to visit her that night. Severus was already gone, having been sent away, gratefully, back to the Dark Lord's side. Narcissa had not told him where she was going to hide her son. It was better that way. Severus was a talented Occlumens, but… there were to be no chances taken.

She sat, waiting, at the desk in the library. She had known that he would come. The table was strewn with a number of small, empty, glass bottles, the last drops of their contenses eating through the dragon hide top of the desk.

There were guards on the Malfoy Manner, much like those on Hogwarts School, but she knew they wouldn't stop him. They wouldn't make any difference. She had made her choice. She had aligned herself against him, with her son. And for that, she would die.

He appeared in front of her. There was no pop, or displacement of air, as there was with a normal Apparation. He was alone. That was an insult. No matter how fearful of his death he might have been, he needed no one to protect him against her. She was nothing.

"Where is the boy?" He asked her.

She didn't answer. His eyes flicked down, across the table, widening. He raised his wand, touching its tip to her forehead. "Legili—"

But she was already gone.