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In this chapter, we find out a bit more of Narcissa's past.
Chapter Two
The transparent tabby cat disappeared in the soft light of the fireplace. For a long time, nobody spoke. Narcissa clutched Draco's shoulder, digging her nails into it. Draco dropped his head on the table and felt tears run down the side of his face.
"No way...there is no way..." he thought.
Kingsley and Moody stared at each other, unsure of what to do and how to feel. Moody was the first to recover and stumped out of the room without a word to the others.
"They were close," Kingsley explained, seeing Narcissa's confused look after Moody walked out. "He and Dumbledore were good friends." He sat down across from Draco. "This is a great loss to the Wizarding world, indeed."
Narcissa took a seat next to Draco. Her hand was still on his shoulder. "What...what will happen...happen to us?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Though she never particularly cared for the Hogwarts headmaster, she knew that he was the only one that the Dark Lord was ever afraid of. And because of this, she believed that she and her son would be protected. She never even truly believed that her son would be able to kill him. And now he was dead. Because of her.
"Don't worry, Mrs. Malfoy," said Kingsley. "We can still provide you with the best protection we can offer. We will protect you and Draco. And as soon as we can retrieve Lucius from Azkaban, we will hide him, too."
Narcissa's heart was thumping loudly in her chest. She was sure that Kingsley could hear it and could see the guilt in her eyes. "With-with my sister?"
"We will place the best protective wards we can around Andromeda's home." Kingsley placed a hand over Narcissa's. "Do not worry. I give you my word that you will be protected."
Again, there was something about his calming and reassuring voice. At once, Narcissa felt more at ease.
"What's going to happen to Hogwarts?" asked Draco. "That thing...it said that Snape killed Dumbledore?" He threw a glance at his mother, one that did not go unnoticed by Kingsley.
"I don't know what will happen to Hogwarts," he answered. "And that thing, it is how we communicate with one another. The Patronus charm, have you heard of it, Draco?"
Draco half-nodded. He was still looking at his mother, who refused to return the glance.
"Look," Kingsley said, raising his voice. "We will protect you. I promise you that. I will personally be sure to place the wards over Andromeda's estate when we arrive there. But I need you to tell me everything that you know. Anything that can possibly help us win this fight."
"But-Dumbledore-"
"I'm sure Dumbledore would agree that we need not stray from our focus. This is a great loss to our side, there is no doubt about that. But there is still a war going on. And I need to be able to trust you as well. Will you lead the Dark Lord to us? Is that your plan?"
Narcissa and Draco shot each other a look. Draco shook his head vigorously. "N-n-no..." he stammered. He was a bit frightened of this new side of Kingsley.
"Then please, tell me what you know." He glanced between the two sitting across from him.
"If I tell you everything, you promise to protect us?" asked Narcissa.
"Of course," answered Kingsley. "I promise. And I give you my word."
Narcissa stared at Kingsley for a long time, breathing heavily. This was the moment where she would truly declare her allegiance to the other side. She had been raised in this house. Raised believing a certain way of life. Raised to marry a pureblood, who would later become one of the Dark Lord's loyal Death Eaters. She had never felt very strongly about the things her family believed in. She followed what she was taught - the perfect student. One that would never usurp her teacher. She was partial to the "pureblood" way of thinking, but that was because it was the only thing that she's ever known. She honestly didn't really see a problem with the other way of thinking. As long as they kept out of her way and didn't harm her or her son, she was fine with them. One of her favorite professors when she was at Hogwarts was a half blood. But she was never strong, brave, or courageous enough to turn her back on her family and declare herself a Muggle-lover, even though she wasn't. She wasn't like her sister, Andromeda, or even her cousin, Sirius.
But this was her moment. This was her moment that she could be one of them. Deep down, in a place where she would never admit it, she always admired Andromeda and Sirius. They were young and they weren't afraid to stand up for what she believed in. If she had just one ounce of their courage, her son may never have become a Death Eater. She just had to choose to tell Kingsley. If she didn't, she would have to return to the Dark Lord without her son. When she thought of it like that, there was no other choice before her.
"Raise your sleeve, Draco," Narcissa instructed. "Your left sleeve. Show the Auror."
"My name is Kingsley, Mrs. Malfoy," he replied kindly.
"And my name is Narcissa, Kingsley," she said, a bit stiffly.
Draco raised his sleeve slowly. He was worried at what Kingsley might think of the ugly mark that marred his pale skin. He slowly slid his arm across the table. He didn't say anything; he just looked up at Kingsley expectantly.
"It must've been a painful experience to receive this."
Draco nodded. "And it still burns every time he calls us."
"Is there anyway he can track you from it?"
"I don't think so..." Draco said in a small voice. If the Dark Lord can actually track him by his Dark Mark, then there was no hope for him at all.
"Draco, you don't have to answer this right now, but, if you don't mind my asking, why did you become a Death Eater?"
Draco looked up at him in worry and hurt. He thought about everything that he had been through over the course of the past year and couldn't remember why he wanted that ugly mark burned onto his skin. "I...I..."
"You don't have to answer right now, Draco," Kingsley said kindly. "Whenever you are ready."
"He was given a task," Narcissa said, her expression returning to the usual cold stare that is normally on her face. "Draco was given a task by the Dark Lord to make up for Lucius' failures. Of course, Draco was not meant to succeed, either. I believe that the Dark Lord meant for Draco to be killed by Dumbledore in the course of carrying his task."
"And what was this task, Draco?"
Draco opened and closed his mouth to speak, but found no words coming out. He looked to his mother for help.
"He was told to kill Dumbledore or he faced death. We were forbidden to discuss it until...well, until the death of Dumbledore," she finished in a quieter voice.
"He told me that if I didn't kill Dumbledore, then I would have to kill my parents and I'd be next!" Draco cried out. Tears sprang to his eyes once more.
Kingsley nodded. "Please continue."
"I didn't want my son to be caught up in the these sorts of dealings," Narcissa replied. "I was concerned for him. Surely, a great wizard like Dumbledore would know that my boy had to do this."
"He did," said Draco, miserably. "He did know I had to kill him."
Narcissa stared at him in pity. She glanced back at Kingsley. "I sought out Severus Snape. He always looked after Draco at school, so I asked for his assistance with this task." She found that once she started talking, it was easy to release everything that had been weighing her down for the past year. And again, she found Kingsley's presence somewhat soothing. "We made the Unbreakable Vow. And he vowed that he would commit the act if Draco did not." She looked up into Kingsley's eyes. He was a bit surprised to see tears forming. "So you see, it is my fault that Dumbledore is dead. It will be my fault when all is lost."
Kingsley took his time digesting the information that he had just heard. "Narcissa, it is not your fault that Dumbledore is dead. That fault lies with Voldemort and Voldemort, alone. You were merely just protecting your child. Quite understandable." He looked between Draco and Narcissa. "You know that we believed that Snape was a spy for Dumbledore."
"And we believed he was a spy for the Dark Lord," supplied Narcissa.
"It seems that he, too, has pledged his allegiance to the side he chose." He exhaled loudly.
"And what will you do now? What will you all do now that your leader is gone?"
Kingsley looked at Narcissa and gave her a small smile.
"Dumbledore may be gone, but our leader is not," he answered. "Strange thing about Dumbledore: though he was not a Seer, he had a...strange affinity for guessing how things will turn out. I believe he has been preparing for his death all year. Whether he knew it was near or not...who knows, only he. We will be okay. You will be protected. Both of you."
He knew that Narcissa and Draco were more concerned for their safety than they were about anything else at the moment. He tried to do all he could to make them feel at ease and more importantly, to make them feel safe. He knew that while they turned their backs on Voldemort, they may still hold on to the beliefs that led them to follow Voldemort in the first place. He knew that it would take a while for them to learn a whole new way of thinking.
"If there is anything else that may come to mind, please let me know at once."
Narcissa gave him a half-nod as he stood and headed for the door to the kitchen. "Where are you going?" she asked, in an almost-panicked voice.
"I need to contact McGonagall. Dumbledore's...death comes as a surprise to us all and...we need to figure out where we go from here." He smiled reassuringly at Narcissa and Draco. "I will be right upstairs."
He left Narcissa and Draco in the kitchen and headed for the entrance hallway. Dumbledore was the Secret-Keeper for Headquarters and there was no telling what happened to the Fidelius Charm now that he was dead. Kingsley pulled out his wand and waved it around, casting protective charms and wards around the Black house. At the moment, his priority was keeping Narcissa and Draco Malfoy safe and alive.
"Do you think they stand a chance against him now, Mother?" Draco asked in a small voice.
Narcissa pursed her lips. "I don't know," she answered truthfully.
Draco put his head back down on the table and Narcissa's heart broke at the sight of her child in despair. She wanted nothing more than to take all of his pain away and wish that he had never seen this side of war. She wanted him to be that happy, smiling little boy that disappeared so long ago.
He lifted his throbbing head from the table and looked at his mother. He was a bit taken aback at how different she looked. Color flooded her cheeks and there was a look of worry and hurt in her eyes. Normally, she held the same cold look of contempt that she gave to everyone, whether it be a friend, acquaintance, and even her son and husband. Her blonde hair was limp and her eyes were red.
"Are you all right, Mother?" he asked, hoping to not cause her any distress.
Tears flooded her eyes, but they did not fall. "I'm fine, Draco," she answered. She gazed at her son and knew she had to be strong for him. She had to keep him safe.
She looked around the kitchen. "Are you hungry, Draco?" She stood up and began opening random cabinets and drawers.
"I'm afraid there's no food in here," Kingsley's deep voice said. "We haven't used this place since last year, when Sirius..." his voice trailed.
"When Sirius died," Narcissa finished. "Again, because of me." Surprising to herself, her son, and to Kingsley, the tears that had been threatening to fall were finally unleashed. She sat down again and sobbed into her hands.
Draco looked uncomfortably at Kingsley and clearly did not know what to do. He had never seen his mother like this. She was normally composed and cold to the world.
Kingsley gave Draco a small nod and put a hand on Narcissa's shoulder. "Narcissa," he said in a calming voice. "If there is anything you wish to talk about, I am here. Even if it doesn't relate to the war or the Dark Lord or Dumbledore."
She nodded, still sobbing into her hands. "Wh-when will we be...be going to Andromeda's? I...I'm not sure I can face her...not yet."
"She knows that you are here, Narcissa. That you have made your choice. She is willing to accept you back in her life. She is willing to give you a second chance if...as she put it, if you are willing to give her one as well."
Though tears were still streaming down her face, she wiped her nose and looked up at Kingsley. She nodded to him and accepted a handkerchief from him. She wiped her face and a few minutes later, she gestured around her.
"This house...it...I...I didn't live here...but I grew up here. We all did."
Being in the old, familiar house brought back many memories for her. She wasn't sure if she should accept them or push them away.
Kingsley looked at her with the utmost attention. Draco was staring at her, also. He had never heard his mother speak of her childhood, other than to describe the beatings and curses that she received, when she threatened to do the same to him when he was acting out.
"I was the youngest of the family. Until Sirius was born. He was four years younger than me. I hated being the youngest. I always had to do everything that my sisters told me to do, so I always told myself that I would never be that way if I were an elder sister. And when Sirius was born, I treated him like he was my little brother. Little did I know how he would turn out..."
"You mean a...a blood traitor?" asked Draco.
Narcissa nodded. "His parents were perhaps the biggest supporters of the Dark Lord who did not take up the Mark. They were like that even before the Dark Lord took power. The whole family has been. So, when our family has people like Sirius or Andromeda..." she shrugged.
"You were disappointed, weren't you?" Kingsley asked.
"I was hurt," Narcissa corrected. "That day when he was Sorted...he was a Black, he should've been in Slytherin like the rest of us. Instead, he was a Gryffindor." She nearly spat the last word out before remembering that she was speaking to Kingsley. "That day...he befriended Potter...and turned his back on his family. Turned his back..."
"On you," Kingsley supplied.
Draco was looking at his mother in utter disbelief. He never knew that his mother and Sirius Black were once close. She never spoke of it. When he escaped from Azkaban in his third year, his mother always spoke of Sirius with disdain. When she contributed to his death, she had laughed about it.
"Did you miss him?" Draco asked.
"Everyday," she whispered. "But I hated him. I hated him for turning his back on me. For leaving me to deal with the family on my own. Regulus...he and I never had the same relationship that Sirius and I did. He was too young...a baby...and Aunt Walburga treated him as such. But Sirius...Sirius was the only friend in the family that I had. Until he was Sorted into Gryffindor and turned his back on me. Then he forgot about me and loved Andromeda more than me. All because they shared the same 'beliefs.' Because they both betrayed the family."
An unidentifiable Patronus appeared before them briefly before disappearing into the fire.
"Your sister is ready for you, Narcissa, if you still wish to go."
Narcissa's mouth opened a fraction of an inch. "Will she allow me into her house?" she asked.
Kingsley nodded. "Andromeda is willing to open her home to you and Draco. I will escort you there and stay as long as needed."
Draco looked up at his mother expectantly. He took her hand and waited for her to make her decision. He already knew that he would follow her wherever she went.
"Yes," Narcissa said. "Please take me and my son to my sister's house."