I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to keep you waiting. I tossed what I had written earlier and re-wrote the entire chapter. HG4eva left a review that fired up my imagination. I had to follow the breadcrumbs and fall into the rabbit hole to see where it took me.
I hope you enjoy the conclusion.
Chapter 3: The Manor
The first thing Narcissa noticed once she was back in her time was that the door to the chamber had mysteriously, and for her, quite conveniently reappeared. She shut it firmly behind her as she exited the department, taking care to leave the ministry as she had entered it; quietly, unobtrusively, bypassing the floo system in the main lobby as they were too closely monitored. Instead, she calmly walked out the door to the busy London street. But once she was clear of the wards surrounding the building, she dashed to the nearest apparition point to make her way home, landing in her private suite at the Manor. From there she hastened to the room that housed the magic mirror. Grabbing a candle from one of the sconces in the hall, she entered the area and once more lifted the fabric that draped over the glass.
Holding the candle in front of her with hands that were slightly shaking, she called out, "Show me Draco Malfoy." It was no longer New Year's Eve, but she had to know for sure. She knew what she had witnessed in the Time Room but needed confirmation that saving Hermione Granger had also saved her son. Something else could have happened; nothing was guaranteed. She waited with baited breath for her image to appear to take the candle from her hand. However, something seemed to be hindering the mirror from responding. It gave an almost human shudder before a light from an unknown source began to grow within its frame. It was not the same brilliant glow as before; this time, the illumination appeared murky, darker, like a pestilence or a foul greenish smoke from a haunted bog. An image began to take form, but instead of seeing the likeness of her younger self, the mirror's face morphed into one Narcissa had not anticipated. Eyes the color of her own but with a sinister gleam to them.
The face of Bellatrix, still deranged and manic, stared back at her. It would seem not even death could cure her sister of the madness that had been a hallmark of her life.
"Well, well, well," she cackled. "What have we here? Has the murderer come to gloat?"
Narcissa stood frozen, unprepared to engage her sister, however dead she may be.
"Show me Draco Malfoy," the brunette mocked in a babyish falsetto. Glaring, she added, " Don't think I wouldn't love to. My pampered, good for nothing nephew should be here instead of me. Would have been, too, if you hadn't interfered."
Still in a state of shock, Narcissa was unable to think of a rejoinder, even though the vindictive spirit had just given her the best of news.
Bellatrix tilted her head, her tongue running over her stained, jagged teeth. "What's the matter, Cissa? Cat got your tongue? Or is it guilt?" She leaned further toward the edge of the glass until her nose and forehead pressed against it, distorting her features and making her look all the more grotesque. "Pretend all you want, Sister. Stick your nose up like a proud society queen. But you're no different than me." Her eyes twinkled maliciously as she hissed, "You're a cold-blooded killer. Might as well get used to it."
Narcissa knew that wasn't the whole of it. There had really been no other option; her sister's choices had ultimately been the cause of her death; still, her words cut deep. She remembered her childhood and a much kinder Bellatrix; one who had helped her master her first spells and who had given her a pigmy puff as a birthday present. The very same sister who had hugged her in delight when she'd been sorted into Slytherin and later when she'd become betrothed to the heir of House Malfoy. She ached with the memory and wondered how that spirited girl had gone so far astray.
But before she could think of a response, another voice called out from deep inside the mirror. This one rang out clear and bright with undeniable authority. "Who are you? You have no claim here. This is a Malfoy mirror. Off with you!"
Bellatrix's ugly sneer suddenly twisted into one of fright. Without another glance at Narcissa, she vanished, leaving a trail of sulphur lingering behind.
"Whew," said the voice that had scared off the specter. "What a foul stench. I'll take that candle now, please."
Narcissa did as she was bidden and held the flame to the glass. Just as before, a slender hand reached out to take it. Soon, the image of her younger self reappeared, but this time the likeness was smiling. The sorrow, the tears…...they were all gone. That smile made all the difference in the world. Narcissa was floored; she'd never realized before just how striking she'd been as a young witch.
"You did it," her likeness said. "You saved him. I'm so proud of you."
Narcissa's brow furrowed in confusion.
Proud of me?
"I….I don't understand. Are you referring to Draco?"
"Of course."
That left Narcissa feeling even more perplexed. She didn't know if she was conversing with her memory twin or the mirror.
Trying a different tack, she asked, "How were you able to get rid of Bella?"
Her doppelganger raised a delicate brow. "Well, as I said, this is a Malfoy mirror. Which qualifies me to use it."
"But….aren't you just a memory the mirror had of me?"
"Ah…I see your point." A bittersweet understanding washed over her image's face. "I am a memory, true. Hopefully, a happy one. And from what I was told, Father always did think I was the spitting image of you."
For a second, Narcissa thought she had misunderstood, but when the full meaning of the words hit her, she paled. What her likeness was implying couldn't be true. If it was, then what she'd mistaken for her younger self had actually been…oh, dear Merlin.
It was Adhara.
Shaking her head in denial, she began to back away from the looking glass. "That's impossible."
"Yet, here I am."
She swallowed hard. "But….but you were just a baby…..barely walking….you can't be this…." she waved her hand up and down. "You're grown!"
"I'm dead," said the spirit before her. "I'm no longer in time, Mummy. Therefore, I'm no longer bound to it. Young, old….growth, decline; those are time words, but they have no meaning inside of eternity. I can be any age."
"Oh, my love…...my sweet girl," Narcissa choked back tears as she covered her mouth with a trembling hand, totally overwhelmed. "I've missed you so…... every single day."
"I know. I peek in occasionally. Father's missed me, too, but of course, you both had Draco to help you. Speaking of, I have the best brother. Sister, too. Hermione is lovely. Once we're done talking, I need to get back to ask them to finish the story about when Hermione punched him in the nose." She grinned. "I really like her, Mum."
"But how can you…...what do you mean, go back to them? I thought…..since I changed his future, he's…..he's no longer..."
"Dead?" Adhara chuckled. "Ah, me. I sometimes forget. Mortals just can't grasp immortality." Pointing to herself, she reminded her mother, "Not in time, remember? You may have changed Draco and Hermione's future, but not mine, because I have none. For those of us who have escaped time's bond, everything is now. There is no future or past. No going forward or backward. I don't have to wait for my family to die to be with me; there is no waiting because there Is. No. Time. Understand?"
Narcissa swallowed. No, she didn't. Not really. All she knew for sure was that she was emotionally overwrought, her nerves felt on fire…...and she was currently having a mind-boggling conversation with her dead baby girl who was now a woman….or a child….or whatever it was that spirits wanted to be on that side of the veil. She rubbed her temple, feeling a headache coming on. Her blood pressure was probably sky high. She really was getting too old for shocks like this.
Seeing her mother's distress, Adhara frowned. "Mother, are you ill? I hope what I said didn't upset you."
Upend me maybe, but not upset me.
Sensing her daughter's concern, she answered, "No, love. I'm not upset. I just wish…" She paused. What did she wish for? For this to have never happened, that's what.
Yet…...
Did she wish to have never seen Adhara again?
To have not seen Bellatrix would have been one thing, but her daughter? Narcissa already felt cheated out of having her in her life. At least, she could remember this.
Then a wild idea hit her. She had been successful in saving one child. What was stopping her from going back to do it again?
"Wait…..oh…...why didn't I think of this before? I can go back…..I can save you! You can still have a chance at a normal life."
Adhara's smile faltered. Instead of the joy Narcissa expected to see, her dead daughter's eyes widened in fear. "No, Mother. You mustn't. Please promise me you won't."
"But Adhara, my love…..don't you want the opportunity for a full life? I can give that to you. I can try, anyway."
"No. You cannot. You must not."
Narcissa was stymied. There must be a reason, a good reason, why her daughter was so adamantly refusing. She recalled her earlier words.
I'm no longer in time….I'm no longer bound to it.
Adhara was outside time. Just like Narcissa had been when she'd walked beside the river. She'd been able to see the end of Hermione's timeline.
Was it possible that her daughter could see the ending of hers? The one that would have happened had she lived?
"What do you know? What are you not saying?"
"Mum…..I don't think that's wise…."
"Tell me, darling. I need to know. Would something have happened to you had you lived?" she asked, although the foreboding crawling over her skin was already a good indicator. Whatever it was, wasn't pleasant.
Adhara stared at the woman who gave her birth. Pursing her lips, she relented. "Alright. If you must know…..it was a fate worse than death. Much worse."
Narcissa's countenance fell. "Are you certain?"
Her daughter's face darkened. She laughed, the sound brittle and empty. "Unfortunately, I am."
"Was there never any hope of saving you, then?"
Adhara's face gentled seeing her mother's obvious disappointment. Her next words were soft and apologetic. "There are some things we can't control. Life is a miracle. Being magical is even more so….but it also has a price…...you know that. I was always destined to be the payment, some way or another."
A soft moan escaped Narcissa. "My poor lamb."
Adhara shook her head. "Mum….please don't cry. Please. It was a mercy I died young." She let that sink in before she added, "Far better to lose me as a happy child than the broken thing of a madman." She stilled, willing her mother to connect the dots.
Narcissa sucked in a breath. She knew instantly what her daughter was implying. Voldemort had always coveted treasures belonging to purebloods. The rarer, the better. And nothing would have been as treasured or as rare as a Malfoy daughter, as there had not been one born for centuries.
The Dark Lord would have demanded Adhara….would have taken her…...and when she no longer amused him, he would have discarded her and made her…
…..a plaything for revels…..
A punishment for Lucius.
Bile threatened to rise in her throat, her very soul sickened. Her tears overflowed then, trailing down her cheeks in rivulets.
"Mum….oh Mum, please don't . I didn't tell you that to torment you, but to help you find closure. Don't be sad. It didn't happen, okay? That's why I can be at peace with my short life. Because it was so sweet. You made it that way. And my ending was quick and painless. Not anything like how it would have been."
Narcissa didn't know what to say. She only knew the helpless yearning that had been in her heart since Adhara died grew a little deeper. What-if's were threatening to overwhelm her mind; only her daughter's assurances that things were better the way they happened kept them at bay.
"You will see me again one day. I promise. Now go. Draco is already on his way to find you. It's time for you to return to the living. To life. Just remember that I always have and always will love you. You are a wonderful Mummy."
Before Narcissa could choke out a reply, a voice from the hallway broke through.
"Mother? Are you in there?"
Draco. She thought it was surreal how her heart could throb with joy and pain simultaneously.
Her eyes darted back to the mirror, but it now stood vacant, just as she somehow knew it would be. With one last forlorn glance at it, she left the room to find her son standing outside. He gave her a meaningful smile.
"I can just imagine what you were doing in there."
"What?"
"Mother. I was there, you know. I saw what you did."
Narcissa had to think back; she finally figured out what he was talking about.
When I went back in time to save Hermione's life…..and his.
"You remember?"
He chuckled. "You've got to admit, it's hard to forget seeing two versions of one's mother working side by side to save your soulmate's life. Of course, I remember. Everyone who witnessed it does."
"Oh...yes," she murmured distractedly. She'd been so caught up with Adhara, she'd completely forgotten about her trip to the ministry and what had resulted after she jumped into the River of Time. "Right…..time travel. Merlin..it leaves one feeling so disoriented. It's almost as bad as being confunded."
Draco's grin took over his face. It was indulgent, affectionate. Warm. Narcissa couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him that way. She couldn't help but stare; he looked so handsome. The pallor, the shadows under red, sleep-deprived eyes, the gauntness…they were all gone, replaced by glowing health. His face now held an expression of contentment. Peace. Feeling a rush of maternal devotion, she suddenly embraced him in a tight hug. Showing physical affection was not the typical Malfoy way; they were not Hufflepuffs after all, but she couldn't help it. Her heart felt so full.
"Draco…..," she whispered. "I love you so much, my dragon."
Placing his hands on either side of his mother's face, he bent down to kiss her forehead. "I love you, too, Mum. So does Hermione. So does everyone here."
"Sorry?" She thought she hadn't understood him.
The smile he gave her this time was filled with pride. "You have quite a fan base. Thanks to you, Hermione and I are announcing our engagement tonight. All our friends are here to celebrate with us."
"Really?"
He nodded. "We thought it fitting. Valentine's Day may be a bit of a cliché,...chubby little cupids and all that pink, he pretended to shudder, "But who cares, really? I jolly well don't. In this case the end definitely justifies the means."
Narcissa closed her eyes, profoundly grateful at the way things had turned out. "I'm so relieved to hear that; and happy for you, dear. And for Hermione, too. She will be a fine addition to our family."
Moving his hands away, he offered his arm instead. "She'll outshine us all, I'm sure. Now, come on. She was asking for you."
Narcissa looked down at her dress. She'd entered the ministry wearing black robes; what she was wearing now was a beautiful silver sheath with tulle overlay. Just the right kind of garment for hosting an engagement party. Regal, but not too showy. A vague memory of dressing for that night filtered through her mind. Was it before she'd returned to the mirror? She didn't know. It would seem her memories since that fateful and pivotal New Year's Eve had been subsumed. Hopefully, they would return.
In time.
She sighed to herself. She now understood the tight restrictions imposed on time travel. It bent reality in a way that could make one mad if pursued too long.
With her hand in the crook of his arm, she allowed Draco to usher her into the manor's grand ballroom. It was quite crowded, filled with faces; some she now held dear. Harry Potter was the first to see her when they entered and raised his champagne glass in respect, a lopsided grin gracing his features. The young Weasley lass standing beside him followed suit, her cheeks dimpling prettily. By the dessert table, a pale, lavender-looking cloud seemed to be hovering over the treacle tarts; upon closer inspection, Narcissa realized she was seeing a floaty type of dress being worn by the Lovegood girl. Glancing up, Luna spied Narcissa, then checked the watch she was wearing. Nodding to herself, she moved over to where Draco and his mother stood. Rising up on her toes, she planted a sweet kiss on the older witch's cheek.
"Thank you," she said sincerely. "For saving us all."
"Yes. A massive thanks from us as well, Mrs. Malfoy," came a pair of voices behind her. Whirling around, Narcissa came face to face with the incorrigible Weasley twins. Not far behind them, Ronald Weasley hurried up to join the group and gave Draco's mum a tight hug.
"You already know how I feel about you," he murmured in her ear. Pulling back a smidge, he gave her a wink, letting go just as Draco was saying, "Alright. She's my Mother, not yours."
"I can't help it if she likes me better," the ginger quipped.
Behind him, the twins laughed. "Ooh, burn," they ragged.
"Truth hurts, doesn't it?" Ron added for good measure, laughing when Draco gave him a rude hand gesture.
"I think you're all being ridiculous. Everyone knows Mum likes me best," Hermione said as she sauntered up to the growing crowd around Narcissa. Squeezing in, she took Ron's place. "Well, it's obvious who the belle of the ball is," she teased.
"I might have to disagree, love," Draco murmured in her ear before cupping her face to give her a kiss.
Narcissa watched the tender scene, feeling like a voyeur. Hermione's eyes were shining like cognac diamonds, the love in them beautiful to behold. Draco was no different. Narcissa had never seen her son exhibit such blatant adoration to anyone before. She finally looked away to give them their privacy, although she couldn't help but hear their quiet whispers.
"Please don't make me wait long. I know society dictates a certain number of months for an engagement, but can't we trim it a bit?"
Narcissa heard Hermione giggle. "And have your mother kill us? Don't you realize how long it will take to plan the wedding of the century?"
"I bet you could sweet talk her into having a more intimate affair. I know that's what you would prefer, anyway."
"I would. But it's not just me to consider, love. It's your wedding, too."
Draco raised the hand that was wearing his ring and kissed it. "As long as you're my wife by the end of it, I really don't care."
Narcissa waited, wondering why Hermione was hesitating in responding. Then she heard her say, "But sweetheart….what about your Mum? You know she would have given your sister a beautiful wedding had she lived, and I don't know…..it just seems like she'll be deprived if we don't go through with this."
Narcissa gulped down the sob that tried to escape her throat. Adhara. She would have been a beautiful bride.
A beautiful sacrifice.
Shuddering, she recalled her daughter's words. For just a moment she'd forgotten. But then her gaze was caught by something Hermione was doing. A house elf had come by with a tray laden with hor d'oeuvres. She watched the muggleborn as she stopped the little thing to gather a few of the appetizers into a napkin. Then she thanked the elf, causing it to blush madly. Turning to her fiancé, Hermione fed him a canapé, both of them laughing when a piece of it caught on his chin. Narcissa couldn't help but smile. The young witch's happiness was contagious. She was fetching. Totally winsome and delightful. Narcissa could finally see why she was Draco's other half. Her son deserved no less.
Sighing, she determined she would try to let the vivacious Gryffindor fill the place in her life that her own daughter would have occupied had she lived.
Moving closer, she placed her arm around Hermione's waist. "Little dove…...I want you to listen to me, alright? What I want most is for you and Draco to be satisfied. If that means a smaller and more selective attendance, then that's what we'll do."
The younger witch hesitated, biting her lower lip. "But Mum….what about Father? What will he say?"
"He'll tow the line or answer to me," she said crisply. "Don't worry about Lucius, dear. I can manage him perfectly well." She pretended not to hear Draco's amused snort at her comment. "Now, no more of this. I think a May Day wedding sounds charming, don't you?"
Draco's face was positively gleeful. "Yes! Can't say no to that, Granger."
"No, I can't," she agreed softly.
Her eyes were full of gratitude and something that went even deeper. Turning, she hugged Narcissa and whispered, "Thank you…..Mummy."
Narcissa tried hard to keep her tears at bay, but she wasn't being very successful. Her heart, still raw, yet so proud and elated , gazed at the room full of merry faces, so many of them looking at her.
Merlin.
She was astonished how one deliberate act could make such life-changing differences.
Off in a corner with several other wizards was Lucius. He was half-listening to Arthur Weasley, his gaze having never strayed from Narcissa since she'd entered the room. Smiling deeply, his eyes glittered in a way she hadn't seen since his youth. He shook his head in amusement and silently mouthed, "You did this."
She returned it with a small nod of her own, breaking out with a wet chuckle as she discreetly wiped the moisture from her eyes.
Yes, she supposed she had.
And she would never let him forget it.