James

A letter to Narcissa Malfoy departed from the Burrow kitchen window within the hour. After watching the owl flutter out of sight I climbed high into the upper levels of the crooked old house until I found my mother's old room. It was quiet and carried that empty air that rooms often acquire after they are left out of use for long periods of time. I collapsed onto the old mattress, closing my eyes and trying to block out the noise of the party in the backyard.

I was so exhausted from lack of sleep that I drifted off almost immediately.

The light of the rising sun glinted off of the butterbeer bottle as I passed it to her.

"Butterbeer at five in the morning? Aren't we badarses?"

I chuckled slightly as I popped the top off of my own bottle. We settled back against the stonewall and watched as the dusky gray sky lit into pale blue. She shifted to put my arm over her shoulders and I pulled her into my side, smiling. I rested my chin on top of her head and inhaled the sweet scent of her hair as we sat and watched the sunrise. Her hair smelled of vanilla, with perhaps a hint of cherry blossoms. I was no expert on smells or perfumes, but I had always loved the scent of her hair. It was fresh and invigorating, but soothing and comfortable at the same time. Our bottles of butterbeer were empty and the sun was casting pink tendrils across the navy sky before either of us spoke again.

"James," Came the smooth timbre of her voice. Her voice was on the deeper side, which I found I liked much more than the high nasally voices of girls I had dated before. It was beautiful and melodic, and thrummed with the intelligence I knew she possessed.

"Yeah?" I asked, trying to imitate the smooth quality of her voice.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Since when have you ever needed my permission?" I laughed. She shifted so that her eyes met mine and I saw the smile on her face.

"Well it's the kind of question that has to be prefaced with a question."

I smiled back at her. "Alright then. What's your question?"

Her turquoise eyes suddenly found the floor as she said quickly,

"I know you say you've never really had a serious relationship but…have you ever been in love?"

I drained the last few dregs of liquid from my bottle while I considered the matter.

"No." I replied at last. "I mean I have been with girls I liked a lot. But none of those feelings ever quite reached what I would call 'love.'"

"I see…" She replied thoughtfully.

"What about you? Have you ever been in love?" I asked, finding myself incredibly curious about the answer. Her brows furrowed and she bit her lip as she thought.

"I don't think so." She said at last. "It's sort of the same for me. There have been boys I've cared about a lot. Except it was always more like I loved them but I wasn't in love with them."

I nodded, processing this new piece of information. For some reason, it almost excited me that she had never fallen in love with someone. As though even making it this far meant that I was more important to her than the other blokes who had tripped over themselves trying to get her attention.

"To be honest," I said slowly, "I'm not even sure what being in love with someone is supposed to feel like. I don't imagine it's similar to the way I love Al or Lily."

Her face was thoughtful as she answered. "I'm not sure either. I've read about it in books. But those have never seemed very real to me. Nor have my relationships to be honest. When people are in love in stories it always seems like they're trying to feel the way they think they should. Like they're trying to capture those moments in love stories by saying the right thing or doing the right thing. They never just…exist."

"So what do you think love should be?" I asked, admiring the way her golden hair caught the light as I tucked it behind her ear.

"I don't think love is like it is in stories. I don't think it should be the feeling to end all feelings. I think if two people love each other, it simply means they love each other. It doesn't mean they'll never be able to live without one another or that they'll experience physical agony if they are apart. It should be fiery yet comfortable. Strong but not absolute. And it shouldn't be crowded with flowery words and epic proclamations. It should be as simple as staring into the other person's eyes and never wanting to look away."

Her blue-green eyes met mine then, and I gazed back into them, trying to imagine what she was describing. And for one fantastic, shining moment, I understood. As I stared into her eyes, I felt a warmth fill my chest. A pleasant and comfortable, yet fiery and passionate warmth. And then I felt as though I did not want to blink. As though I did not want to waste anytime I had to stare into her eyes. Except perhaps to kiss her, the only thing that could possibly be better, which I did a moment later and did not stop doing until the sun rose high above the mountains….

A sharp tap brought me abruptly back to consciousness, and the details of the memory I was drifting off to sleep with trickled from my mind like water escaping through fingertips. I looked around sharply. I was still in my mother's room at the Burrow. The sky had grown dark outside, and the noise of the party had died down considerably. At the window I spotted an unfamiliar, pure white owl, sitting on the sill and tapping its beak against the glass.

I rolled quickly off the bed and scampered to the window. I flung it open and the owl hopped in, holding its leg out to me. It took off the moment I removed the scroll of parchment. I did not even wait for it disappear from sight before breaking the seal and lighting my wand. The letter read,

I will receive Mr. James S. Potter and one chaperone, but no one else. I shall expect him at the address on the following piece of parchment at 10 o' clock tomorrow morning and not a moment later. I do not like to be kept waiting.

-Narcissa Malfoy

I tossed the first piece of parchment aside impatiently and examined the second one, which bore the words,

The following message is to be read only by James S. Potter and then promptly destroyed. At the end of the page, written in Narcissa Malfoy's fine script I read, a house number and a street name.

I took a second to memorise the address before whispering, "Incendio!" And allowing it to curl into ash on the windowsill.

I gathered the first piece of parchment and bolted from the room, taking the stairs three at a time until I hit the ground floor.

"Dad?" I called. It was eleven o' clock at night, but there were still a few guests lingering about the room, including Hagrid, Kingsley, Luna, Rolf, Neville, and Alex as well as all of the Weasley/Potter clan. They all looked up when I slid to a stop in the doorway, apparently interrupting a comfortable moment. I ignored them and scanned the room for the familiar glint of my father's glasses.

"Dad!" I said, upon sighting him on the couch with his arm around my mother. "I need to talk to you."

Immediately sensing the urgency in my voice, my dad got to his feet. Teddy, Ron and Hermione followed his lead. The five of us disappeared into the kitchen and Hermione cast several charms to prevent fulfillment the infamous Weasley curiosity. I began speaking as soon as she finished,

"Narcissa Malfoy replied."

"Already?" Dad asked, accepting the rolled up letter I handed him. Teddy and my Aunt and Uncle leant over my dad's shoulder to read the message. My dad shook his head upon completing his reading, "Typical Malfoy."

"What do you mean?" I asked curiously.

"The Malfoy's despise when the Ministry gets involved with their 'business.'" Teddy clarified. "She probably thinks that if only you and one other person are allowed to visit her, she still maintains the position of power."

"She's a talented witch. She probably could take on James and a fully trained auror by herself." Hermione warned. I shrugged. I wasn't particularly concerned about Narcissa Malfoy cursing me. She had no reason to, after all.

"What happened to this second piece of parchment she refers to?" Asked Ron.

"I destroyed it."

Ron raised an eyebrow. "Why in the world would you do something like that?"

"Because she gave me her address with instructions to destroy it as soon as I memorised it."

"And…you didn't deem us worthy to look upon the parchment as well?"

"She entrusted me with the information. She very specifically wanted only me to know. I thought it was best to regard her wishes. How can I get her to help us if she thinks she can't trust us?"

"So, James," My dad interjected, "Make your case."

"Beg your pardon?" I asked.

"Make your case as to why you should be allowed to go to this meeting. I know you're dying to."

My dad knew me all too well.

"We really need this information." I began immediately. "If the Malfoy's are as opposed to Ministry involvement as you say then we shouldn't approach the visit as a Ministry matter, which would be impossible if we sent two trained aurors to a meeting they were not invited to. As I said earlier, she'll be more willing to help us if she thinks she can trust at least one of us, and right now that person is me. Plus, I'm now the only person outside of her inner circle who knows where to find her, and if I have to use that as a bargaining chip with you all, I will." I knew it was bold of me to say, and had my father been anyone else, he probably would have hit me across the face for my insolence. But alas, my father was Harry Potter, the man who had saved the Wizarding World at the ripe young age of seventeen. He therefore had no illusions as to what teenagers and young adults were or were not capable of. Even in my childhood he had not sheltered me from the outside world, but rather taught me how to handle it. He had always treated my siblings and me with the same respect as adults, and we therefore strove to rise to the standards and responsibilities that accompanied that respect.

My father contemplated my face for several moments before a grin overtook his features.

"Well I've no objections. What about you lot?" He addressed his fellow aurors. Ron and Hermione looked hesitant but nodded their agreement nonetheless. Teddy's eyes had narrowed shrewdly but he did not voice his objection. Deciding the matter settled, by father continued,

"So who would you like to 'chaperone' your little escapade?"

"Teddy." I answered promptly. Aunt Hermione raised an eyebrow at my certainty. I'd considered the matter briefly while I was flying down the stairs and had come to the conclusion that being trapped in my company by his duty as an auror was the perfect time for me to interrogate him about his actions at the Quidditch World Cup six years ago.

"You've thought about this already." Hermione ventured. I nodded and looked toward my godbrother. He still wore that shrewd expression, but it had changed slightly. He knew something was going on, but had the tact not to question me in front of the adults. Neither my father nor my aunt and uncle appeared to be fooled, but they chose not to comment on the matter. Keeping in the tradition of the Weasley family, they would probably find out what I wanted to discuss eventually anyway.

"That's settled then." My dad said. "You two should probably take the car to London, so you'll have to wake up early. That means you should probably stay with us tonight, Teddy."

"Why can't we just apparate?" Asked Teddy suspiciously.

"Well I highly doubt James has been to the Malfoy's London home yet so he can hardly apparate the two of you directly there, and I feel as if spending hours wandering around London on foot may not be the most effective use of time. Plus it will give James ample time to share with you whatever he's bursting to talk about." Sometimes I forgot how shrewd my dad was. I supposed he was Head Auror for a reason. "Any more questions?"

The four of us exchanged looks before shaking our heads and dispersing.

I could barely sleep that night. Partly because Teddy was snoring up a storm in the guest room next door, but mostly because I was grappling with an inextinguishable spark of excitement. I couldn't help but be over the moon about the fact that come this time tomorrow, I would be one step closer to getting Vera back.

I awoke before my alarm the next morning, overwhelming feelings of excitement and determination rousing every cell in my body. I dressed in muggle camouflage, jeans and a plain blue t-shirt, before trotting down the stairs and into the kitchen. My parents were already awake, sipping their morning tea and swapping sections of the Daily Prophet. Teddy arrived downstairs several minutes later, dressed similarly to me and sporting a shock of violet hair. He groggily poured himself a large cup of very strong coffee before waving toward the door, his early morning signal that he was ready to go.

My parents accompanied the two of us to the door.

"Look at my little boy, all grown up and going on his first auror mission." My mother jested while standing on the tips of her toes to kiss me on the cheek. Her tone became more serious then, "Be safe, won't you?"

"I won't let anything happen to him, Ginny." Said Teddy.

"You better not." My mum said, kissing him on the cheek as well. "Or else we'll be having words."

Teddy laughed appreciatively at my mum before ushering me out the door and into my parent's compact car. We lashed on our seatbelts and rose into the air without speaking. Teddy disabled the invisibility booster as soon as we were above the clouds, and we spent the ride in companionable silence.

We were well out of Devon and making good time over Hampshire before Teddy finally seemed awake enough to make conversation.

"So what was it that you were so eagre to talk to me about?" He asked, steering slightly to the left as we caught a strong tailwind from the south.

"Oh right…that…" I replied. I was ken to ask for Teddy's point of view on my preoccupation, but now that I was here and permitted to speak freely, I wasn't sure how to enter into the conversation. "It was about…about the Quidditch World Cup."

He raised a disbelieving eyebrow at me. "So you've been bursting to talk to me about an event that is still a year away?"

"No of course not." I said hesitantly. "I wasn't talking about that world cup. I was talking about the one six years ago and what…what happened there."

Teddy's knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. "I thought we agreed never to discuss that."

"We did." I replied hastily. "But I recently had a conversation with Rose that made me wonder if there wasn't something we needed to discuss."

"And what is that?" His words were muffled through gritted teeth.

"Malfoy's involvement. Is it true that…that he tried to stop them from torturing me?"

Teddy waited a moment before replying. "I'm not sure, to be honest."

"What do you mean?" I asked slowly.

"Well…" He drew the word out before continuing. "I can be sure that he stopped them from torturing you. But I can't be positive of his intentions. He saved you, but he may not have been trying to."

"Explain?"

Teddy sighed. "Well…I was doing some investigation work that involved me poking around the forest. While I was walking around I caught a glimpse of you through the trees and started following you. You weren't supposed to be sneaking around after hours, after all, so I figured you were up to something interesting. I lost you though, shortly after I started tailing you. I spent Merlin knows how much time wandering through the forest before I finally heard something. A scream. But it was an unusual scream. It wasn't a shriek of laughter or a sound of surprise, it was filled with pain – agony even. I took off running toward it. I got there just into time to see Malfoy lob the Carrow cousins over the head. That's when I spotted you on the ground amongst all the other unconscious figures. At first I thought he'd managed to take all of you out by himself, but that was before Noel Rookwood turned her wand on him and yelled, 'You're going to pay for that, Malfoy.' I made a split-second decision and stunned her before running to check on you. I turned to Malfoy and I warned him that he had been participating not only in a cruel school age prank, but something highly illegal. Poor bloke looked scared out of his wits. So I told him, in return for helping you, I would pretend he had never been there when I called the Magical Law Enforcement Office. He took off running into the forest after that without looking back."

There was a beat of silence between us. At last I said,

"Teddy, do you think it's possible that Malfoy isn't as bad as we think he is?"

Teddy shook his head uncertainly. "I don't even know. Nothing really seems to make sense anymore."

I nodded in agreement. Then something suddenly occurred to me,

"Hold on, you said you were in the woods investigating, but you weren't even an auror then. What could you possibly have been investigating?" Teddy shifted uncomfortably and I knew I'd just touched on an important detail. "What are you hiding?" I demanded, cutting through any and all pretence.

Teddy glanced around the small vehicle, as if checking to see if we were truly alone. I didn't know what he was expecting to find. Perhaps a miscellaneous cousin with their ear pressed up against the glass? I wouldn't put it past my family.

"Alright, I'll tell you." He relented. "But you're not to repeat what I say to a single soul." I nodded impatiently and motioned for him to continue. "Okay." He exhaled loudly. "It was just after I graduated from Hogwarts. I was at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour waiting for Victoire when a man approached me. I didn't recognise him. He wore black sunglasses and a heavy black robe despite the heat. I remembered feeling instantly unsettled and was reaching for my wand…but then he addressed me by my full name and said he'd been trying to find an opportunity to speak to me. I was curious, naturally, so I allowed him to say his piece.

"He told me he knew about my parents – about their fate. Well that didn't impress me. Everyone knew about my parents. What caught my attention was when he told me he understood – that he'd been through the same thing. He began to describe my parent's deaths to me in great detail. The accuracy of his information was both intriguing and disconcerting.

"He told me he worked for a brilliant man who had a plan to reunite the Wizarding World, to tie together the splintered relationships and vicious coalitions. But he needed my help. Naturally I asked what that entailed. The man said he knew I was applying for the auror program. He said his boss needed eyes inside of the Ministry.

"I knew this must mean that whatever the stranger was planning was illegal if it had to be separate from the Ministry, but I still didn't refuse. I'm not sure why. The man told me to think about it and, if I was interested, to attend one of their upcoming gatherings and see for myself what they were, 'all about.'

"The proposed meeting was to take place the night of the Quidditch World Cup. It was rather brilliant actually. Hiding in plain sight on a night when even Ministry officials would be celebrating."

"What happened at the meeting?" I asked as Teddy enabled the invisibility booster and began our descent onto a quiet street leading into the city.

Teddy shook his head slowly. "I never made it to the meeting. I ran into the scene with you and Scorpius on my way there. And after watching the way he saved your life…I began to wonder if not all of them were evil like I'd been raised to believe. After all, the world isn't separated into good people and Death Eaters. Perhaps there was hope for Scorpius Malfoy. So instead of continuing onto the 'gathering' after the MLEO had collected the teenagers, I went back to the tent, and never had any interaction with the mysterious ever again. The reason I bring it up is because lately I've been wondering if…if that man had been working for this so-called Half-Blood Prince. It would make sense. Trying to 'reunite' the Wizarding World. Asking me, the son of dead war heroes, to help them. Perhaps they thought I would share their hatred of old Death Eaters…I suppose I do. But I'd never go as far as committing murder to avenge my parent's deaths. I know they wouldn't have wanted that."

I considered what Teddy had said. As much as I wanted to hate Scorpius Malfoy, Teddy was right. The world wasn't separated into good people and Death Eaters. There were arseholes and bastards in between. Malfoy was definitely an arsehole, but he had never shown me a reason to believe he was going to follow in his ancestor's footsteps.

"We're here." Teddy said after a while, stopping the car. I looked around. We were on a quiet, residential street of London in front of a series of tall, Victorian style houses. I climbed out of the car and walked along the row of houses with Teddy in tow, finally stopping between two houses. My mind flashed back to the address scribbled on the piece of paper and, as though on cue, an almost identical building materialised between its neighbours. Teddy and I stepped carefully onto the front porch and I lifted the silver, snakehead doorknob.

The door creaked open a moment later to reveal a sliver of an elderly man's face.

"Yes?" He asked coldly after taxing us up and down.

"My name is James Potter. Mrs. Malfoy is expecting me." I said quickly.

The man frowned before opening the door fully. "Ah, yes. Please come in." Teddy and I entered through the large doorway and examined the entrance hall we found ourselves in. I jumped as the man shut the door loudly behind us. Judging by his well-kept clothes and proud demeanour, I guessed he was a butler. "My name is Mr. Jones. I'm the housekeeper here." His cold, dark eyes turned to Teddy. "Mrs. Malfoy wishes to speak only with Mr. Potter. I must request you remain here during the meeting, else Mrs. Malfoy will refuse to meet with your charge." Teddy nodded grimly but otherwise did not speak. "Very well. Follow me, Mr. Potter."

"Mr. James S. Potter." Announced Mr. Jones upon opening the door and stepping in. I followed him through the double doors and found myself in a small, elegant drawing room. Sitting directly before me in an antique chair was a striking old woman. She had ivory skin and long, white blonde hair. Her grey eyes were as cold and hard as steel and her tall thin frame supported elegant, white robes. She was one of those old women who still managed to look strong and graceful even in her old age.

Her sharp, aristocratic features were calculating as she took me in, reminding me irresistibly of her grandson. After a moment she nodded to the antique chair across the table from her and said,

"Have a seat, Mr. Potter." I did as I was told. She motioned to the items on the round table before her. "Would you like some refreshments? Tea? Crumpets? Biscuits?"

"Just tea, please." I said politely. She nodded and waved her hand. The sterling silver teapot lifted into the air of its own accord and an equal measure of steaming liquid into each of our teacups.

"Thank you." I said, sipping the scalding beverage.

She nodded again before saying, "Mr. Potter, we must speak quickly. My husband will return within the hour and I promise you, he will be less than enthusiastic to see you here."

"Of course, ma'am. I've come to - "

"Yes I know what you've come for, Mr. Potter. But I would like you to answer some of my questions first."

I was slightly taken aback. "Okay, ma'am. What would you like to know?"

"First," She said, slowly stirring her tea. "I want to know what your intentions are toward my granddaughter."

"To rescue her." I replied promptly.

She pursed her lips. "Yes I gathered that from your letter. I was asking about after your retrieved her. Your plans for the future."

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean." I said, though I had a hunch.

"Why, marriage, Mr. Potter. Career. Procreation. Children."

My neck began to feel slightly warm beneath my collar. "I, er, hadn't thought that far ahead, ma'am." I mean sure, I'd thought about the process of procreation with Vera plenty of times, but never much farther than that.

"I see..." She said slowly, giving me a piercing look. "And your parents?"

"What of them?" I was instantly defensive.

"How do they feel about your relationship with my granddaughter?"

I sat up straighter. "My parents want me to be happy. Vera makes me happy. Therefore they support us completely."

"Interesting." Mrs. Malfoy replied. Her cold, judgmental demeanour was highly unsettling. She continued,

"Your mother is Ginny Weasley, correct?"

"Correct."

"And she is a pureblood, correct?"

I was going to say something cantankerous. Probably along the lines of, 'Why does it matter, you prejudiced old bat?' But I decided that might not be the best way to coerce her into cooperation. So instead I simply replied,

"Yes, ma'am."

"And your grandmother came from the Prewett family?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Respectable enough." She replied approvingly. "Your father is Harry Potter, correct?"

I knew she already knew the answer to this question, but I humoured her anyways.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Another respectable line. You are the oldest child in your family, correct?"

"Correct."

"That would make you the heir to the Potter fortune?"

"I, er, don't think my parents have made up their wills yet, ma'am."

She pursed her lips again. "Interesting. Especially considering the line of work your father is in."

I gritted my teeth but otherwise did not react to her jab. Apparently unaware that she had said something inappropriate, Mrs. Malfoy went on,

"What about your career plans?"

"I'm applying to the auror program."

She nodded approvingly, "A respectable career. High paying and frequently leading to the post of Minister of Magic."

"I'm...not much of a politician." I said politely.

"We can work on that." She replied thoughtfully. I was slightly off-put by her response. I could see the cogs turning in her head, almost as though she was already planning my future. At last she returned her attention to me,

"I see. Well, Mr. Potter, you seem like a respectable enough suitor for my granddaughter. I had hoped she would fall for that Alexander Longbottom she hangs around with." Knowing as I did Alex's preferences, I had to bite down on my lip to prevent a chuckle from escaping. Not appearing to notice Mrs. Malfoy continued, "Then she could at least maintain her happiness were I to arrange a marriage for her. That's how it happened with my husband and me. My parents selected Lucius. It was simply luck that we turned out perfectly compatible. Others, like my oldest sister for instance, were not as lucky...However if Vera were to choose to end the pureblood line, I suppose there are much less suitable Half-Bloods she could have chosen."

I wasn't sure if this was a compliment or not, so I simply remained silent.

"Alright, Mr. Potter, now that you have answered my questions, I shall allow you to state your business."

"Thank you, ma'am." I began quickly. "As I told you in my letter, your grandchildren were kidnapped by the terrorist masquerading as the Half-Blood Prince. He left us an ambiguous message, the meaning of which we found to be the location to which he had taken them. That location is Malfoy Manor."

"I see." She said, stirring her tea once more. "So what you want from me is the location of Malfoy Manor."

I nodded. She gazed at me expressionlessly. She stared for so long that I felt as though her steely eyes were boring holes in my face. At last she said,

"Please do not misunderstand me, Mr. Potter, but I'm afraid I cannot help you with that."

My hand tightened on the edge of the table but I did not otherwise display my frustration.

"And why is that, Mrs. Malfoy?"

"I care very much for my grandchildren and I do know the location of Malfoy Manor. But I cannot tell you the location, for I am not the secret keeper."

"Couldn't you…I don't know, apparate us to it or something?"

She sighed. Porcelain clicked against porcelain as she set her cup down on the saucer.

"I am an old woman, Mr. Potter. I have not been able to apparate for nearly five years without consequences."

"I see." I said slowly. I cursed inside my mind, and then cursed again. "Who is the secret keeper then?" I was afraid I already knew the answer.

"My son, Draco."

My mental cursing became more vivid and imaginative as I tried to consider my next move.

"Okay. May I ask you something then?" She surveyed me over the top of her teacup before nodding. "Why did you agree to see me if you knew you wouldn't be able to help? Was it simply because you wanted to ask me all those personal questions?"

"No, Mr. Potter. I was, of course, curious about the young man who had stolen my granddaughter's heart, but I also wished to help you."

"How?" I tried to control the exasperation in my voice.

"I may not be able to guide you to Malfoy Manor, but I can help you find my son."

I froze. "Your – your son? You've known where he was all this time?"

"I did not say I knew where he was. I said I knew how to find him. If you'll let me explain?"

I fell silent. She took a breath and continued, "At the end of August of last year, my son came to my room in Malfoy Manor with an urgent message. He told me he had reason to believe that his, Astoria's, and his children's lives were in danger. He said that he and Astoria planned to go into hiding as soon as Vera and Scorpius were safely at Hogwarts. He advised that Lucius and I move out of the Manor and into one of our less high profile homes. Then, he gave me this…" She reached into the pocket of her robes and pulled out a small object. "Open your hand, Mr. Potter." I did so, and she pressed the small object into my palm and closed my fingers around it. I opened my hand to reveal an elegant signet ring bearing the Malfoy family crest. "Draco told me that if I was ever in danger, if I ever needed to find him, I could simply put this ring on my finger and it would take me directly to him."

I rolled the ring between my fingers, examining it closely. "And you're giving it to me?"

For the first time that morning, something that vaguely resembled a smile appeared on her face.

"I'm giving it to you." She confirmed. "It will transport one person to my son's location only once, with one return trip. But, Mr. Potter, my giving you this ring does come with certain conditions." I waited for her to continue. "Firstly, you are to tell no one that I have given you this, or undoubtedly I will be overwhelmed with visits by Ministry officials and facing charges for obstruction of justice or whatever they are calling it these days. Secondly, you are to use this only to find the location of the Manor. If you or anyone else uses it to apprehend, arrest, or harass my son, the magic will cease to work. The device will only function for one with pure intentions. Do you understand?" I nodded eagerly. "Excellent. Then our business is concluded. I shall show you to the door."

We both stood and, leaning heavily on an ornate black and silver cane, she accompanied me to the front door.

Teddy hopped to his feet the moment the door to the drawing room opened, shoulders tense and eyes glaring distrustfully at the old woman.

"Good evening, Mr. Lupin." She greeted. Teddy gave one sharp, brisk nod before beckoning me to him. I politely kissed Mrs. Malfoy's hand before joining my godbrother at the door.

"I wish you the best of luck in finding my granddaughter, Mr. Potter."

"Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy."

Teddy's hand was on the doorknob when Mrs. Malfoy's voice suddenly sounded again, "Oh and Mr. Lupin…"

I saw Teddy bracing himself as he turned back to face the old woman.

"Yes?"

Mrs. Malfoy's demeanour grew suddenly troubled and frail. "Next time you see your grandmother…I'd like you to deliver a message for me." When Teddy did not speak she continued, "Please tell her that…I'm sorry for any part I may have played in the death of her daughter and husband and that…If she can ever find it in herself to forgive me…I'd very much like to see her again."

Teddy appeared thoroughly taken aback by this honest display of emotion, a reaction perfectly in sync with my own. He recovered himself after a moment and said,

"I'll tell her."

Narcissa Malfoy made her first genuine smile. It looked rusty and out of practice on her face, but it was a smile nonetheless.

"Thank you."

And as I took my leave out the door, I saw, for the first time, the latent but nevertheless present and prevailing humanity of Narcissa Malfoy.

Vera

"More questions! More questions!" The Prince ordered, clapping his hand together excitedly.

"Why did you bring us here?" I asked immediately.

The Prince sighed melodramatically, "Well you could have been more creative but alright…I've always had a sense of the dramatic. I like to pick the perfect setting for each of my examples. Catching rotten Death Eaters and bringing them down right beneath the nose of the Ministry of Magic is, of course, amusing. But I'm picky about locations. I like this one in particular. One reason is the fine, Victorian furnishings, naturally. But the other reason is the parallel involved. I don't know if your dear parents ever told you this, but during the Second War, Malfoy Manor served as Voldemort's headquarters. In fact, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley were briefly held captive here and tortured for information." Scorpius inhaled sharply beside me. It did not escape the Prince's notice. He nodded wisely. "That's right, Scorpio. The parents of your dear little paramour. She must really be trying to annoy them by consorting with the likes of you, aye?"

Scorpius' steely eyes bore into the gaps in the Prince's mask in an impressive and intimidating display of power. The Prince wasn't cowed in the slightest.

"Why us? Why did you put so much effort into catching us?" I demanded, hoping to keep him talking and gather more information.

"My, my, you are an inquisitive one." He said gleefully. "If you must know, there are a few reasons: One, you're both just so good-looking. Imagine how striking your dead faces would look on the cover of the Daily Prophet. Two, I have a special score to settle with your grandfather, and I've always believed in the literal interpretation of a blood debt. Three, and this is my personal favourite, your relationships with the Potters and Weasleys. For one thing, they are a bold bunch and I'm interested to see what they'll do to try and get you back. But secondly, a descendent of the Malfoy family marrying a descendent of the Potter or Weasley family would be the very definition of forgiveness, of acceptance. And you see my dear," He lowered himself to my eye level once more. "I simply can't allow that. I don't want to forgive, and I don't want to forget. Voldemort and followers took things from me that I will never get back. And I know I am not alone." He looked to his followers who all nodded in solemn agreement. "I plan on using your deaths as a symbol – a warning really – that we refuse to settle. We will not simply allow Death Eaters and their spawn to roam freely and suffer minimal punishment for their crimes against humanity. We will show them the agony of losing their loved ones. We will destroy them from the inside out." His spit landed on my face as his speech grew more passionate. I was disgusted but still refused to flinch as I stared steadily back into those cold, black eyes.

"If you're so eagre to see my brother and I dead, why even bother kidnapping us? Wouldn't it have been easier to kill us on the train?"

Scorpius shot me a look out of the corner of his eye that I took to mean something along the lines of, 'Don't poke the hippogriff,' but I ignored him. Now that I was here, now that I was facing certain death, I refused to allow myself to be frightened or intimidated. If I were to die, it would be standing with my head held high and not a hint of fear in my eyes. I wouldn't allow them to win by begging for mercy or being cowed by their insane antics.

The Prince did not seem offended in the slightest at my question. On the contrary, he seemed quite pleased that I had asked.

"Of course that would have been easier. But where's the fun in just killing you? Exactly right, there isn't any. No one would learn any lessons and I'd have to track down a new victim every other day. Trust me, my way's best."

I was quite proud of myself when I managed to lift a cheeky eyebrow and say,

"You're quite mad, aren't you?"

Teeth flashed beneath the mask as his face spread into a malicious smile. He gestured to his followers grandly as he said,

"We're all mad here." He allowed this to sink in before going on. "Now I think it's time we all got to know each other a little better shall we? Who wants to go first?" I glanced at Scorpius uncertainly. "No volunteers? Alright then…eeny, meeny, miney, mo."

His pale finger came to a stop in front of my face. He grinned like the Cheshire cat behind his mask. "Ms. Malfoy, excellent. Deena, Corbin, please escort Mr. Malfoy back to his lodgings while Vera and I bond a bit."

The two figures who had taken us from the cellar seized Scorpius and began dragging him back down the stairs. He struggled against them yelling,

"No! Leave her alone. Take me instead."

"Oh be patient, won't you? You'll get your turn." The Prince said, waving his hand casually at my brother. I tried to continue looking proud and unshakeable, but my courage began to drain as soon as Scorpius was out of sight, only to be replaced by an ominous feeling settling in the pit of my stomach.

"Orna, Marius, Cosimo, join me up here. The rest of you may be dismissed."

There was a slight grumbling as the majority of the masked figures drained from the room. The exception was three people.

"What's with the masks?" I asked boldly as they took several threatening steps toward me.

"So many questions, little girl." Said the nearest figure – a woman by the sound of it.

"I like her." Said another one, a man. "She's got spunk."

"What's the point in hiding your faces?" I challenged. "If you're just going to kill me anyways."

"She has a point." Said the third figure, another man.

"Very well then." Said the Prince. "And as for your question, my dear, our masks represent our 'shame' so to speak. Our blood status, in other words. The red stands for our wizarding ancestry, and the white for our muggle heritage. The right side represents the mother, the left, the father."

I nodded, filing this information away in my memory. While the Prince was speaking, his followers had removed their masks with waves of their individual wands.

The first figure proved to be a woman of average height. She had long, wavy, tomato-red hair and matching lipstick, with pale skin and icy blue eyes. When she tossed aside her cloak, I saw that she wore a leather bustier and a long, black, lace skirt that trailed behind her high-heeled boots as she circled me like a shark eyeing its prey.

The second figure was a man, with curly blond locks and black clothes to match his eyes. The final figure was a tall, terrifying man. The only hair he possessed was a small patch of beard upon his chin. A deep, grizzly scar extended from his left temple to the right side of his jaw, passing through a blank left eye. He noticed me eyeing his disfigurement and tapped it grimly with his wand.

"Admiring the old battle scar, aye? Compliments of Fenrir Greyback. An old friend of your family if I'm not mistaken."

I winced slightly as he said the name. It was not a welcome one in my household. The golden haired man stooped to catch my jaw,

"Your right, Prince. Quite pretty. With the aristocratic features of a pureblood."

It came to me suddenly, powerfully. A fiery impulse, an overwhelming desire for the man to release me accompanied by a rush of fear, anger, and determination.

The man stumbled backward, clutching his wrist and gritting his teeth.

"What is it, Cosimo?" Asked the woman.

"The little bitch cast a stinging hex on me." He approached me again, this time with his wand pointed. "A little uncouth don't you think? But that's all right. Manners must be taught, after all…Crucio!"

I nearly bit my tongue off trying to block the scream from leaving my lips. I toppled backwards and landed awkwardly on my wrist, but the pain that movement caused was nowhere near the agony arching my spine.

I heard laughing when I finally returned to my surroundings. It felt as though sounds were reaching me across the wavelength of a badly tuned radio.

"My turn!" Screeched the woman gleefully. My back arched again and this time I let out a small cry. Time went on that way – in indistinct, agonising increments. I wanted desperately for the pain to stop. I attempted to enter a sort of trance, one where my body was disconnected from my brain, but achieved minimal success.

"That's enough, Orna." Came the Prince's voice. I never thought I'd be pleased to hear him speak. "We don't want her to be too far gone too soon."

My eyelids fluttered open in time to catch Orna's disappointed expression. Black spot crowded my vision as I tried to focus. The Prince's mask hovered above me, and I felt myself lifted back into a kneeling position by an invisible force.

The Prince's midnight eyes swam before me and a moment later, my vision went black. Images began flashing before my eyes like a film strip that had been waiting to begin…Sparkling brown eyes above me, the clink of bottle on bottle, the soft, joyous sensation of lips on mine... I was ten, clutching my mother's hand as Scorpius pale face, through the window of the scarlet steam engine, moved slowly out of sight and around the corner…I was in a sparsely populated corridor, watching Rose stare up adoringly, longingly into my brother's face…I was seven, climbing a tree and experiencing that horrible sensation of falling as a branch suddenly snapped beneath me…I was eleven, and facing the Great Hall, watching Gloria Abbot-Pierce sorted into Hufflepuff while Albus squeezed my hand comfortingly…I was five, clinging to my father's leg while he chuckled and tousled my short hair…I was thirteen, sitting at the Gryffindor table and watching while James' girlfriend lectured him heatedly…I was ten and hiding behind the flap of our tent as a group of red-headed people trailed past…I was eight and clinging to a bucking broomstick while my father circled beneath me, ready to catch me if I fell…I was eleven, sitting on a stool in the Great Hall as the Sorting Hat crooned in my ear, "I see bravery, and no hint of greed or selfishness. A pure heart and a good mind…"

I gasped as the drawing room came abruptly back into focus. Four pairs of eyes observed me calculatingly, but my focus fell on the foremost one. I couldn't see his face, but I guessed his expression was speculative.

"Interesting. You really are the black sheep aren't you?" I didn't answer. I was trying to catch my breath. I felt like I'd just run a marathon without training for it first. "Marius, escort Ms. Malfoy back to her lodgings please? I need time to mull over this information. The rest of you are dismissed."

I landed hard on my knees when Marius forced me through the cellar door. Scorpius rushed to my side and lifted me into a sitting position.

"Are you okay, Oli? What did they do to you?"

"I'm fine." I said, shaking him off. I was irrationally bothered by his attempt to act as the caring older brother. "They used the Cruciatus Curse a few times and I think the Prince may have used Legilimency on me."

Scorpius' brow furrowed ever so slightly. I knew his mind was processing and analysing this piece of information to death. It always was. I impatiently interrupted his thoughts,

"Listen, Scorpius, I have an idea to get us out of here. But first I need you to tell me everything you know about Wandless Magic."

Scorpius tilted his head questioningly before saying, "Okay."

Break

Author's Note: Sorry about the delay. I was feeling a bit uninspired. I'm personally not very pleased with the way this chapter turned out, and could use any encouragement you'd be able to offer if you have a moment or two.

The place I'm picturing as the Malfoy's House is a real place I saw in London. It's in Kensington and Chelsea but I won't give the actual street address because…well I feel like that would be a bit creepy.

I struggled for a while with what would be the best way for James to encounter Draco. I couldn't think of a logical way to introduce clues for him to track him down. I felt like the ring was a bit too easy, but couldn't think of a significantly better "tracking" device. I sort of styled the spell ring to function similarly to the one Albus Dumbledore cast on the Mirror of Erised, ie. Only someone with good intentions would be able to find what was sought after.

The part with Narcissa Malfoy requesting to speak to Andromeda Tonks again: I never really thought of Narcissa as "evil" but rather a product of her environment. I think she loved her sisters very much, even if one of them married a muggle-born and the other was insane. In the post-war era, I picture Narcissa having, more or less, seen the error of her ways and wishing to reunite with her estranged sister.

Fun fact: Did you know that Ted (as in Ted Tonks and Teddy Lupin) isn't short for Theodore but for Edward? Weird, huh?

The Half-Blood Prince has always been kind of mad and whimsical in my mind. Up with the likes of The Riddler or The Joker from Batman, or Moriarty (I recently resumed watching Sherlock and am loving it.) Not a real dark and serious villain like Voldemort or the like.

The name "Cosimo" was taken from the Chronicles of Narnia, and the name "Marius" was inspired by Anne Rice's books.

This story is nearing its completion. The number of remaining chapters depends on the following question: Would any of you delightful readers be interested in reading a sequel? I have one planned but as I know sequels are never as widely read as their predecessors, I'm not sure how it will be received. Depending upon your answer, there are several storylines that I must either wrap up within the next couple of chapters or run with through a sequel. As far as my other writing plans, I'm half way through a funny story about Rose and Scorpius that I plan on publishing eventually, along with a few other stories about various other characters including Victoire and Teddy.

Finally, special cheers to those who took the time to review the last chapter: Griffie7198, magical origami, sarahmichellegellarfan1, and Jenny.