Author's Notes: I'd like to thank xo.A.m.o.r.e.t.t.e.xo, Indeffinate, Persephoniii, Hannah Loves Lupin, waffenmac and C0mdLicAt3p for your review for chapter eighteen. I'm thrilled you're all enjoying the story, and I always appreciate your support and comments.
Additionally, I'd like to thank waffenmac for your review for chapters one, two and five.
Sorry it's taken me a little longer than usual to get a new chapter up once again – it's half-term, so I have less free time with my little boy not being at school. Hopefully, next week, everything should be back to normal.
Finally, thanks to the wonderful Karen (IMissPadfoot, User ID:133633) for beta'ing this chapter.
Chapter Nineteen: Revelations.
Narcissa looked horrified at being spoken to in such a way, and rose from her chair, before making her way to the front door.
"I think this discussion has come to an end," she said coldly, as she reached for the handle.
However, before either woman could take another step, the door flew open and Draco stood in the doorway, looking beyond angry.
"Mother, what are you doing here?" he accused.
"I came to see you, dear, to make sure you're okay," explained Narcissa simply.
"I thought I told you I was just fine a few weeks ago when I came to visit you and Father," insisted Draco. "And I clearly remember warning both of you to stay away from me from now on."
Draco's eyes flashed with an angry fire, as he advanced on his mother, until he was almost pinning her to the wall.
"What do you really want, Mother?" he questioned forcefully.
"I... I told you," stammered Narcissa. "I just wanted to make sure that you're okay, that you're looking after yourself properly and that you don't need anything."
"Well, as you can quite clearly see, I'm just fine, so you can kindly leave now," returned Draco coldly, not even looking at his mother even though she was merely inches from him.
Morrigan watched the whole exchange in horrified puzzlement, feeling as though she should have never let Narcissa inside in the first place. She wondered what lengths Draco would do to rid his mother from the house, and she also worried how angry he'd be with her once Narcissa finally left. Momentarily, Morrigan contemplated intervening to break the tension, but then thought better of it, knowing it wasn't her place to interfere and remembering how Draco had taken a back seat when she had it out with Sean in the Leaky Cauldron.
"Draco, please, talk to me," Narcissa begged her voice straining painfully with emotion as her eyes clouded with tears.
"I have nothing more to say to you," informed Draco coldly, and then turned and headed towards the living room.
Narcissa looked at Morrigan imploringly.
"Morrigan, tell him what I said to you. Tell him how much I love him and that I didn't mean to hurt him," she pleaded.
Morrigan remained in stunned silence, unable to tear her eyes away from the woman who now had tears streaming down her face. It was obvious that Narcissa meant what she said, and that she loved Draco deeply and just wanted a chance to talk to him. Additionally, Morrigan thought that if Draco actually spoke to his mother it might do him some good. To hear her side of things may help him gain some prospective on the situation. However, Morrigan also didn't want to take sides, and ruin the friendship she'd built up with Draco by agreeing with Narcissa.
Instead, she shook her head apologetically and mouthed, "It's not my place to do anything."
Narcissa looked from Morrigan to Draco, who was sitting in a large arm chair in the living room, with his back to the hallway and his mother.
With another beseeching glance at Morrigan – who merely shrugged her shoulders to say there was nothing more she could so – Narcissa crumpled to the floor and began sobbing.
Morrigan gazed hesitantly between the crying Narcissa, and Draco – who still hadn't turned around despite the fact his mother was wailing – unsure of what to do now. Part of her wanted to go and comfort Narcissa, and the other part of her wanted to slap some sense into the woman and remind her she'd brought this situation upon herself by caring more about the Dark Lord than she did her own son.
In the end, however, all Morrigan could do was stand and watch in silence.
Finally, Draco could take no more of the sobbing, apparently, and stormed into the hallway to glare down at his mother.
"For Merlin's sake, woman, pull yourself together," he sneered. "You're pathetic."
Narcissa looked up at her son, her eyes blood-shot and rimmed with tears.
"You... you... sound just like your father when you use that tone," she whimpered.
"Don't you ever compare me to that man," Draco bellowed, once again his usually cold grey eyes burring with an angry fire. "You obviously have nothing to say that I want to hear, so I ask you again, will you please get out of my sight and leave me to my work. Do you even know I have a job at St. Mungo's now, supplying them with potions? And I got that all on my own, without you or father looking over my shoulders constantly."
Narcissa gazed up at her son, and blinked her eyes repeatedly to rid them of the tears. "Oh Draco, I'm so proud of you, and I'm sure your father will be too," she whispered.
"Ha, I very much doubt that," scoffed Draco, his voice etched with disdain. "Where's the power and glory in using your skills to help someone else? No, I expect Father will be disappointed, just like he was all throughout my life at Hogwarts, even when I made the Quidditch team."
"Draco, your father and I have never been disappointed in you," insisted Narcissa, her tone once again pleading.
"That's a lie, and we both know it. The only time Father was even remotely proud of me was when I was branded with the Dark Mark and took his place as a Death Eater, and even then it wasn't actually me he was pleased with, more the fact he had yet another person to bail him out."
"That's not true," protested Narcissa, tears once again threatening to fall from her eyes. "We were worried sick when you joined the Dark Lord."
"Yeah, so worried you stood by and did nothing as he tortured me and commanded me to kill Dumbledore," Draco bit back angrily.
"We were worried," Narcissa said again, this time a little more forcefully. "You know I even went behind the Dark Lord's back to ask Severus Snape for his help. I wanted him to protect you with his, and he made an Unbreakable Vow agreeing to do so."
Draco gazed down at his mother in shock, hardly believing the words she'd just spoken.
"You did what?" was all he could manage to say.
"I was so scared you were going to get yourself killed, and your father was in Azkaban so there was nothing he could. I knew you'd always gotten along with Severus at school, and he was a good friend of your fathers, so I begged him to protect you. It was a big risk too, as Bellatrix insisted on coming with me and there was every chance Snape would have said no and reported back to the Dark Lord, but I had to do it, because I love you and I couldn't stand the thought of you being in danger," explained Narcissa, now pulling herself together and rising to her feet. Hesitantly, she took a few steps towards Draco and reached out to embrace him.
However, Draco stepped backwards and away from his mother's out stretched arms, looking at her with a mixture of revulsion and pity.
"No, what is more likely is that you feared the Dark Lord would kill you if I failed my task, so you used the only means left to save your own back," accused Draco, turning away from Narcissa.
Morrigan had been watching the whole exchange in stunned silence, shocked to hear Narcissa had risked her life to protect Draco, and now fully believing everything the woman said to be true – she loved her son deeply, and would do anything for him.
Again, the group of people fell silent, as Draco made his way back into the living room and returned to the chair he'd been sitting in before.
Finally, Morrigan broke the tension by taking hold of Narcissa's arm and leading her out of the house.
"Listen," she whispered. "I believe you, Narcissa. I can tell how much you love Draco and I think it's important that he realizes that too, so that you can both move on from this. I'm not promising anything, but I'll try to talk to him, and make him see that you're being genuine."
"Thank you, Morrigan," returned Narcissa, her voice once again choked with emotion. "That really does mean a lot to me. Draco is lucky to have a great friend, like you, and I'm so thankful you've been taking such good care of him all this time. I dread to think what might have happened to him without you."
"It was nothing," Morrigan insisted with a sheepish shrug, a blush creeping up her cheeks. "Draco has helped me a lot too in these past few months, so I'm just returning the favour."
"Well, whatever the case, I'm very grateful," Narcissa said again.
"It's not a problem. I care about Draco, and want what's best for him," replied Morrigan. "I think it's probably best if you go now, because he won't ever clam down enough to speak to me with you around. If you'd like, I'll meet you in Diagon Alley at the end of the week, and I'll let you know if I've had any luck talking to him."
"I'd like that very much," returned Narcissa. "Thank you and I'll meet you in the Leaky Cauldron, around one in the afternoon, say?"
"Sure, that's fine," agreed Morrigan.
"Thank you again," said Narcissa, and then with a swish of her robes, she disappeared on the spot.
Morrigan sighed, took a deep breath and headed back inside the house, mentally preparing herself to speak to Draco about his parents.
A/N2: I figured Narcissa wouldn't have told Draco about going to see Snape or the Unbreakable Vow at any point in HBP or DH, for fear of Voldemort finding out. Additionally, she wouldn't have had a chance after Voldemort was defeated, as Draco ran away not long after that. Therefore, I think this chapter was an appropriate time for her to make that revelation.