Following the war and the trials that came after, the survivors have finally begun to move on. Harry, a trainee auror, knows he has one last person to thank, but little does he know that a well meaning social call will turn lives upside down as Harry begins to understand the strange world of his old enemies. Family, legal, drama.

NARCISSA

Lucius was brought into the visitor's hall by an auror and sent over to the table where Narcissa was waiting. Although she had not been allowed to visit Lucius during his previous conviction, nor did he speak much about the year he spent in Azkaban before, Narcissa had seen the state he had been in when he escaped and knew the first time she visited that this time things were better since the Azkaban prison forms. Although the prison was still located far in the North Sea, and the fortress was cold and derelict, it was clear that much work had gone into improving the conditions. There had been work done on the draughts and the heating in both the halls and the cells, or so Narcissa had read in the Prophet. There was the obvious absence of the dementors which had clearly changed much of the prison's reputation. Thus Lucius looked pale and subdued, but he was clean and relatively healthy looking. His prison robes were spotless and his hair was trimmed shorter and swept off his face. He looked pleased to see her, she noted gladly.

"Hello darling." She said as he sat before her.

"Narcissa." He nodded

"How are you today?" She asked as pleasantly as possible.

"I'm in prison, the appeal could not come sooner. Is Draco not with you? I thought he would have finished his education now."

He has." She expained vaguely. "I am still working on the appeal you know. We had a raid last week and they didn't find anything, so I think that will look good in your case."

"Where is he then?"

"Who?"

"Draco, Narcissa."

"Oh…well, you know, he's back from school…he's busy seeing friends. I want him to get on with his life so I didn't badger him about it…you don't mind do you?"

Lucius looked away for a moment, glancing at his fellow inmates with their wives and some with their children. He was disappointed. She had let him down but she did not dare admit to him that Draco had no wish to visit his Father. That would hurt him too much.

"So…the appeal?" He asked sharply.

"Oh…yes, well they were talking about next month, but I do think it was just talking. I think the best we can hope for is September, that will give me enough time to …um…" She put her hand to her head.

"What's wrong…what's the matter?" He said with a frown.

"Nothing, I've…just lot my train of thought again. Oh yes…I think September will be fine."

"For what, Narcissa?"

"To receive the witness statements." She said surely, and smiled nervously

"Narcissa, if you're not well, you needn't have visited. I would fair better without the unnecessary disruption of my research for the case" He had that cold look in his eyes, the one she disliked. He had that face when he was annoyed with her. He had not looked at her like that for some time, it reminded of her of being young and stupid, that was how he made her feel in those days.

"I'm very well, Lucius. Please don't be cross with me. Look…I brought you some books…well not with me, I gave them to the front desk to check first. They'll bring them to your um…cell, later."

"Your intentions are sweet, but there are more important things for you to be doing back at the Manor, if you haven't brought me any useful news. You really ought to have brought our son with you. It will be in his hands now to continue running things. How can I teach him if he doesn't visit?"

She lowered her voice to a mere whisper.

"I'm sorry Lucius, but please don't be harsh on him…he's…"

"He's what?"

"He's…well he a lot on his mind. I'm sure now he's home things will settle down. Oh…I forgot to mention…Do you remember Javor Rathbone?" She blurted out. Lucius looked unsure for a moment,

"That American healer? The one with the mud…muggleborn wife?" He asked glancing at his guards. Narcissa nodded. "I remember you insisted on inviting the both of them to our Christmas party for a good many years."

"He was good to my family." She said, indifferently. "And I couldn't very well leave his wife out of the invitation, could I?

"Anyway, what of him?"

"Oh…I just bumped into him in Diagon Alley, I thought I'd pass on his regards. He's separated from his wife now, you know." She said, as if to soothe the situation.

"I see…are you implying that our son needs to see this Healer?"

"No…I told you it was a chance meeting."

"You are a terrible liar, Narcissa." He continued, icily. Inwardly, Narcissa bristled, he was wrong, she was a very good liar, but that is not the sort of thing a good liar admits. However, Lucius had caught her out this time. "Even if it were a chance meeting, the thought must have crossed your mind for Draco to see this quack or you wouldn't have brought him up in this context."

"And so what? Not that Javor Rathbone is a quack, he was a great help to my Aunt Walburga,"

"Yes indeed, a fine job he did with her."

"And he was a help to my own parents after An…after Bellatrix was arrested." She said hastily. "Our son has been through a lot, why should he keep his thoughts to himself? His redemption and his suffering may reflect positively on us, if anyone should get wind of it?" She offered. Lucius looked alarmed.

"I might not be able to physically prevent you from taking Draco to this man, Narcissa, but I hope you come to your senses quickly. You surely, can't wish for people to hear about our son's mental instability?"

"No! No…" she blushed. "No of course not. I didn't think. Not that Draco is mentally unstable…he's just a sensitive boy."

"If he hasn't grown up now, then there is nothing that can be done for him." Lucius muttered bitterly. A shadow fell over his face, as his expression softened. "I will need to rely on him to take care of our finances and the upkeep of the estate. I fear that the appeal will do little to no good. I will be in here for a good deal longer."

Instinctively, Narcissa reached for her husband's hand, but he retracted it, not callously. It was as if he had not seen her move, he was lost in his own thoughts.

"Is there something I can do? I've been taking care of things for a year…its been difficult with some of the court expenses, but we're still above water."

"The name of Malfoy will rise again."

"Of course." She lied, but this time Lucius didn't catch her. The name of Malfoy was gone. It existed only as it was, a name. Never again would their legacy or their name be spoken of in the context of good society. The name would twist and rot like so many great families, just as her own had done. The Malfoy name was rotten to the core.

"I entrust you to bring the severity of the responsibility to our son's attention, keep him away from this Healer. He'll only retreat further into his own personal indulgence if he goes down that route. We are relying on him now."

"Yes, Lucius."

"Good….now please, if you have a quill and parchment, I have some ideas for the appeal…."

AN: Thanks for reading.