A/N – After a triple update on another story I'm working on – I'd been planning to alternate between them – I decided it was only fair to post at least two more chapters. I hope you enjoy them – feedback is always appreciated.
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Adrienne was watching the children play in the yard with half an eye while she changed the baby's diaper. Maggie had asked her to take Annabel and the baby for a few hours Saturday afternoon – she had ended up taking the puppy as well, to Grace's delight. Garrett had been pleased enough about the puppy for a while but he really preferred playing with his toy broomstick. Adrienne had given him permission now that she was there to supervise. She'd given Tristan permission as well, but he had made only a perfunctory circuit around the back yard before returning to his book. Adrienne had the feeling he had only done it to be polite.
Maybe he's getting too old for toy broomsticks. He's only a year away from going away to school, he probably ought to have a real one.
Might be a good Christmas present this year.
Tristan set his book down and stared into the distance for a while. Then he came into the house, looking over at his mother a little cautiously.
"Mom?"
"Yes, Tristan?"
"Do you think –" he hesitated.
If he asks for a real broom now, I'll just get him one, Adrienne decided instantly. Tristan hardly ever asked for anything.
"Do you think you might get married again?"
Adrienne blinked.
Okay, totally missed that one.
"I'm not planning to at the moment," she said calmly. "You have to have a very special relationship with someone in order to get married, and there's no one I care for in that way right now. But we are still a family, and I would never bring anyone else into the family if I didn't think it would be a good decision for all of us." Tristan regarded her gravely as he considered this.
"If you married someone who was going to be nice to you and you were happy, I think it would be a good decision," he told her. "Even if I didn't like him very much."
"Tristan, I don't think other people can make you happy," Adrienne replied slowly. She hadn't expected Tristan to want her to get married again. If she had to guess, she would have thought that her oldest son would resent seeing another man in Bobby's place.
But I don't want him thinking that my getting married is going to 'fix' everything and make it just like it was before Bobby died. It wouldn't.
"I think it's something you need to do yourself," she continued. "But it's okay if people aren't happy all the time – being sad is normal sometimes too."
"But happy is better," he pointed out slyly, with a hint of the smile she had missed, and Adrienne laughed out loud and gathered him into her arms for a big hug.
"Happy is better," she agreed.
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Severus was startled when his talisman signaled that the Headmaster wanted to see him immediately – he hadn't even made it all the back to his quarters after the Sorting feast the first night. He hurried to the Headmaster's Office, sweeping through the halls in a manner that sent clusters of students scurrying out of his path. He couldn't see why they all wanted to stand around and talk in the halls in the first place. If you wanted a decent conversation, it made more sense to find a quiet place in which to sit comfortably and converse – not that any of these brats were capable of much in the way of an intelligent conversation.
Kingsley and Minerva were already in the Headmaster's office when Severus arrived. He knew them well enough to be able to tell that they were very worried, even if Dumbledore had not been looking rather grave himself.
"Lucius Malfoy escaped from custody last night," the Headmaster informed him.
"Oh?" he replied coolly, shooting a sharp glance at Kingsley.
"He made a scene last night at supper," the Auror reported. "Told his guards he didn't know why they kept summoning him to meals when the swill they were serving wasn't fit for human consumption and so on. Went on about it at length, so when he didn't come down for breakfast or lunch, well –"
"What an extraordinary demonstration of Ministry skill!" Severus said in an acid tone.
"Severus," Dumbledore said wearily. Snape glared at him, but desisted.
"Not trying to excuse the guards, but he really shouldn't have been able to escape anyway – not without outside assistance, at least, which would be a little difficult for anyone to provide without knowing where the prisoner was being held," Kingsley added in his low, rich voice.
"Who did know where he was being held?" Minerva asked.
"The Minister, of course, and Amelia and her deputy – the one who was handling the Portkeys – but no one else is supposed to know."
"What about the guards themselves?" she pressed. Kingsley frowned very slightly.
"None of them were told – everything was handled by Portkey, including supplies. And the Portkey doesn't get you in to the building itself, only to the courtyard outside."
"Once you've been present at a location, there are ways to ensure you can find it again," Dumbledore pointed out.
"Yes, but anything that would work through those wards would require a fair amount of time, and preparation – using supplies that are not permitted at the site."
"What about the guards?" Minerva asked, "or Amelia's deputy?"
"The guards were never allowed to return twice to duty at the same location, and the assignments were randomized. Even with fairly longish tours, they still had to keep finding new sites to make sure of that, but they have been. Also, no one could be assigned to work with the same partner twice."
"If there were two Death Eaters in the ranks, they would almost have to wind up partnered sooner or later under such a system," she pointed out. Kingsley's eyes widened.
"I hadn't thought of it that way," he admitted. "They wouldn't have to trust each other or risk exposure then if they used their position to free one of the prisoners – all they would have to do is follow You-Know-Who's orders. The fact that they weren't regular partners would give them more credibility in whatever cover story they used."
"I highly doubt that The Dark Lord issued orders to free Lucius Malfoy, and I would be amazed if any of his followers decided to take the initiative – particularly when he was so exquisitely clear about not doing so," Severus contributed.
"Could there have been a magical failure in the wards?" Minerva asked, with the air of someone prepared to consider even the remotest possibilities.
"There are Aurors going over the site inch by inch," Kingsley told them. "If there's anything to find, they'll find it."
"I think the human aspect is the most likely avenue to pursue," Dumbledore said.
"I'll see what I can discover," Kingsley agreed, rising to leave through the fireplace so he could return to the investigation.
After he left, the remaining three sat in silence for some time, considering this development. Dumbledore looked troubled.
"I believe it is very important that we do not let Emmeline know that Lucius has escaped," he said at last.
Severus and Minerva both nodded, and the Headmaster continued. "Severus, I'd like you to concentrate on finding out what you can through your usual channels. Minerva can take care of stopping by to check on Emmeline for a while so you can give this your full attention."
Severus bit back an instinctive protest and merely nodded again.
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Although all of them had been keeping Dumbledore apprised of the progress of their individual activities, it was a week later before all four of them reassembled in his office again.
"Kingsley, you had best start us out," the Headmaster suggested.
"I'm afraid I've discovered one likely lead," Kingsley reported, looking unusually disgruntled. "The prisoner was allowed a visit with his wife the day before he disappeared."
"Ye cannae be serious!" Minerva protested, obviously shocked. Kingsley nodded, his lips compressed.
"It seems she has been pressing Fudge for such a visit for quite some time – although he never mentioned it to Amelia, who would have had a fit if she'd known. Fudge managed to get her to actually take her vacation this year, and then waited until she was unreachable and ordered her deputy to arrange the visit." Kingsley's disgust was apparent in his expression. "There was nothing her deputy could do with the Minister himself issuing the order, but he did manage to ensure that she was subjected to the same security precautions as everyone else. She was thoroughly searched before she was allowed to take the Portkey, and she was never allowed into the building. They brought the prisoner out to the courtyard instead. No physical contact – they had to stay more than an arms length apart – but they were allowed to speak privately. The guards were not allowed to listen to their conversation as long as they obeyed the rules – also on the personal order of the Minister himself."
"Has there been any attempt to locate Narcissa?" Severus asked.
Kingsley nodded. "But that's the strange part – she hasn't left Malfoy Manor! She was right there when we got there, hadn't made any attempt to run away. Said she was shocked to find out that Lucius had escaped and we were welcome to search the place, which we did. Didn't find a thing."
"The Ministry has searched there before and found nothing," Severus drawled, "even when there was quite certainly something to find."
"Then what was the point of the visit at all?" Minerva demanded irritably. "Even the Ministry's not that stupid!"
"They haven't arrested her," Kingsley pointed out. "She's too well connected for Fudge to allow it without very solid evidence – and we don't have any! If she'd fled, even he would have had to admit it was suspicious."
"That's probably why she remained at Malfoy Manor," Severus commented.
"Did you learn anything from the site?" Minerva asked.
"Not from the site, but the examination of the guards may have turned something up, although none of us know what to make of it even if there's anything to it at all," Kingsley admitted. "All the guards were subjected to a battery of tests, checking their condition both for health reasons and security ones. They started with the guards that had the most contact with the prisoner, and worked there way through to the ones at the entrance to the building. Everything was fine until they checked the last pair – the ones posted at the door – and then one of the Healers said that they seemed to her to have been hit with a Confusing Concoction. Three other Healers said they didn't detect anything, which is really the part that seemed strange about the whole matter."
"Confusing Concoctions are not difficult to detect," Severus said authoritatively.
"The Healers all agreed on that," Kingsley said, "even though they didn't agree on whether the guards at the door had been subjected to one. The Healer who thought she had detected it double-checked her results – and she did say once it seemed a little odd – but even the others who disagreed with her seemed to think she knew what she was doing. I had a quiet word with each of them later, and they all believed that she had detected it even though they hadn't – and in spite of the fact that none of them could explain how that could be!"
"I have a hard time believing it myself - not eating or drinking anything offered to you while on guard duty is really pretty basic – so I don't see how it could have been administered, but it seemed pretty odd so I thought I'd mention it."
"What do we know about those particular guards and that Healer?" Minerva asked.
"I don't think they could be in collusion in this," the Headmaster declared firmly. "The reason Mary became a Healer was because of what happened to her sister, Alice, and one the guards, Dervish, was engaged to Elspeth Lovegood before she was killed."
The momentary silence was broken by another question from Minerva.
"What reason did Narcissa give for needing to speak with Lucius?" she asked. Kingsley looked troubled.
"Well, she hemmed and hawed a bit, but finally confessed that she wanted to talk to him about a divorce. Insisted that she hadn't known anything about his service to You-Know-Who and hadn't believed it at first. Then decided to keep up appearances for the sake of their son until he graduated – as long as Lucius was safely in jail 'til then – but she wanted to let him know that she wanted a divorce next summer and talk to him about the arrangements."
"Is that possible?" Minerva asked, looking back and forth between Dumbledore and Snape.
"No," Severus said shortly. "Don't underestimate the hold Lucius has over her. If she said it, it's only because he told her to."
"Well, I can't understand why he would have told her to make such a fuss about being scared of him," Kingsley said with some exasperation. "She said Lucius must have found a way to escape to come after her because she asked him for a divorce. Amelia was back by then, and she jumped at the chance to put a guard on Narcissa, even if she called it 'protection' with the Minister there. Round the clock guards on her and the house. And Narcissa didn't look upset about it at all, said she was grateful!"
"Cornelius was present?" the Headmaster asked, his brow creasing.
"Oh, yes. Patting her on the shoulder the whole time and telling her not to worry, he would make sure that –" Kingsley's eyes widened suddenly. "Ah!"
"What is that supposed to mean?" Minerva demanded.
"I believe it means that Kingsley has discovered the reason our dear Minister of Magic was so willing to help the prisoner's beautiful wife arrange a visit with what we are now told is her soon-to-be ex husband," Severus derided.
"But Narcissa is his wife," Minerva protested.
"Must you be so naïve?" Severus demanded, causing Minerva's eyes to flash angrily.
"That will do," Dumbledore interjected, as she opened her mouth to retort. "Severus, have you anything else you would like to share?"
Blast. "As I expected, The Dark Lord did not order an attempt to free Lucius," he began, starting with what he had known coming into the meeting. "He doesn't seem overly displeased about the escape however, although that may be simply because it's a clear sign of the Ministry's incompetence. On the other hand, orders must be obeyed, and he had ordered the Death Eaters not to try to free Lucius or Georgeson. He reiterated that anyone who disobeyed such an order would regret it, and Lucius, if found, is to be brought before The Dark Lord if possible – and killed outright if not."
"As we expected," Dumbledore murmured.
"There is something else," Severus added a little reluctantly. The connection hadn't occurred to him until he heard the news of Narcissa's visit and considered the implications. "Draco appears to be concealing certain injuries, and has been ever since he arrived. It's very subtle – I doubt any of the other students have noticed, although Crabbe and Goyle, who have the most opportunity, probably lack the mental equipment – but I have been keeping an unobtrusive eye on him and I'm quite sure that he is injured."
"Draco's the son?" Kingsley confirmed. "Hadn't thought of him. Do you really think a schoolboy could have played a part in Lucius' escape?"
"That particular schoolboy – who is, by the way, a prefect and in the same year as Harry Potter – is both talented and intelligent," Severus said immediately. "Growing up under Lucius' tutelage, he doubtless knows a good deal more than material we've included in our curriculum."
"Point taken," Kingsley said easily. "Could Lucius be hiding out here with the help of this Draco?"
"Highly unlikely, but we'll take steps to be sure," Dumbledore said evenly, but Severus could see the faint traces of worry in his eyes, and felt something within himself clench.
Please, not Draco.
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Severus tried to keep an eye on Draco – even more than usual – so it wasn't until later in the week that he was finally able to slip away to Grimmauld Place to visit Emmeline.
"Severus!" she exclaimed eagerly when she saw him enter the drawing room. She sprang up and rushed forward to catch his hands and draw him over to have a seat on the olive-green settee beside her. "I'm so glad you came," she gushed, smiling a little shyly at him.
Maybe absence does make the heart grow fonder – or maybe my being away just made her realize that she missed me! It was an encouraging thought, and Severus only disengaged one of his hands from her grasp to reach into the pocket of his robes.
"I brought you another book," he offered, holding it out, but Emmeline barely glanced at the title when she accepted it and set it down on the tea table.
"That's so sweet of you," she cooed. Severus' mental wince when she said that – he had a number of admirable qualities, but he was not 'sweet' – was drowned out by the thrill that ran through him at the way she was looking at him. Her enormous blue eyes gazed at him admiringly, until she dropped them to regard their still-linked hands and added, "I hope you don't mind my saying so," in a rather breathy voice.
"Er –" Why did he have to start feeling like a stuttering schoolboy now, he wondered desperately. He was a mature and accomplished man. "No," he managed shortly, and was rewarded with the sight of Emmeline's blue eyes again, now peering up at him from under the dark fringe of her long lashes.
Emmeline inched closer on the settee. "You haven't been by to see me lately," she pouted.
"I'm sorry, I've been – busy," he apologized a little stiffly. Emmeline's fingers had started toying with his hand, and a shiver ran up his spine. Is she actually flirting with me, or is this another fantasy?
"I really missed you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Oh?" he said weakly. For some reason, he was having difficulty forming coherent thoughts. Emmeline nodded, scooting closer, and Severus drowned in a wave of intoxicating perfume.
"I hadn't realized until just recently how important you'd become to me. Then, not seeing you for so long –" Emmeline's voice caught artistically, and there seemed to be a hint of tears in her eyes. "My days were so dreary without you."
Severus' mouth was dry, and he couldn't figure out what to say. But Emmeline was practically in his lap at this point, so perhaps he could be forgiven for what he did next.
After all, he had been waiting to kiss her for more than a quarter of a century.