A/N : firstly I must apologise for the huge wait for my next chapter, I just haven't had as much time to write due to real life getting in the way, alas, it must come first.

Secondly I've had a touch of writers block, so many ideas but completely unable to get them down in a pleasing manner.

Anyway enough excuses and on with the show, I hope you like it, all your favourites, follows and reviews have really kept me going, thanks to mercersburgrachel, muse and sounding board, constantly giving me her time when she is very busy, for which I'm grateful.

As the final chapters approach they are getting harder to write, for that I'm sorry, I promise I'm not giving up, I'm just taking my time.

I'm aware that my author's notes are a bit redundant now, but I'm only updating the story

Chapter Fifteen

Narcissa would normally have been horrified to break down in such a way, she had accepted the proposal with no fuss, she was proud her voice had remained strong and steady, but the wave of emotion that hit immediately after wasn't expected at all. All day she had wondered what Harry was planning, Hermione had been incredibly patient with her constant interrogation, and she didn't let up, in the end she even resorted to letting time pass before unloading another question, hoping to catch her off guard, this proved to be fruitless.

It was obvious from the young woman's reaction that she hadn't any clue what he'd been planning, and felt foolish, as her rational brain regained control and her breathing steadied, her tears slowed, they were tears of joy, of that she had no doubt. She felt a huge rush of love for the man holding her tight, she didn't know for certain but he must have met her mother, he would have needed her permission. Also, there was no way he could have reached Black Manor without assistance, which would mean that Andromeda must have helped, that was surprising enough, but the fact her mother granted his request was a far more surprising development.

"Are you OK?"

She felt his voice as she was still pressed close against him, she found it incredibly soothing and blinked until her vision cleared. She left the comfortable warmth of Harry's arms to better compose herself. Hermione handed her a tissue and she gently dabbed it around her eyes, she was smiling broadly at the woman sat on the floor before her.

"I guess he did well" Narcissa laughed and nodded

"I had no idea, I'm so sorry Hermione, I feel terrible, I assumed you knew"

"He" she gave Harry a pointed look "Didn't tell me anything, how do you feel?"

"Overwhelmed"

The blonde witch, stretched her legs and gracefully rose and sat back down on the sofa, Harry sat beside her and she gently leaned against him.

"Tell me how you got my sister to help you?"

"I told her about us and she took me to see your mother"

"You make it sound so easy, I never dreamed that she would do anything that would help me, dare I ask how you got my mother to agree to your request?"

"I asked for her permission and her blessing, she liked my manners and my adherence to tradition, and after she subjected me to a touch of Legillimency she sent us away, Andromeda was about to hex her, but she gave me what I wanted, and she expects to come to the wedding"

Narcissa sighed heavily, she pivoted to face her man, she rested her hand against his cheek and looked deep into his eyes.

"Are you sure about all of this, we won't be able to keep this secret, mother will not allow her daughter to get married quietly, like it or not, our union would be a major event in my mother's eyes, it's all about status and prestige, not only that, when it gets out that bloody Skeeter woman will have a field day, I'm worried about the backlash and how it will affect you, the chosen one marrying the disgraced ex-wife of a convicted Death Eater, I don't want to be responsible for you being shunned by your friends and the magical community"

He placed his hand atop hers and smiled

"I've never been more sure about anything in my life, I woke up this morning and realised I wanted to wake up with you every morning, do you regret saying yes? You certainly sounded sure when you accepted"

"I was, I am, we hadn't ever talked about the future, like I said, I'm overwhelmed, there may even be a chance of a reunion with Andromeda all thanks to you, not to mention the fact you held your own against my mother, possibly even earning her respect, I am mortified that she would force her way into your mind, she always was a law unto herself, it took a little while for me to process the situation, and then I panicked"

"I never thought I would ever see you lose your cool"

"Don't you dare make fun of me Harry Potter, I've been worried about how people would react to us for a long time"

"Since when did you care what people think?"

"I don't care what they think about me, but I do care about what they think of you"

She folded her arms tightly across her chest and glared at him, he wore a slightly bemused smile, her whole demeanour reminded him of a stubborn teenager, he placed a kiss on her unyielding red lips.

"Well I don't care what everyone will think, I love you Narcissa Black, I will marry you and after a while everyone will move on to the next piece of juicy gossip and it won't be a big deal, that's how Rita Skeeter operates, it was exactly the same during the Tri-Wizard tournament"

He kissed her again and this time she made a small effort to kiss him back. Hermione who had remained quiet during the whole exchange finally spoke.

"Ron and I are both behind you, and I'm sure there will be more, and if I can help, you only have to ask, it's all very exciting" she smiled earnestly at the blonde witch

"I'd like very much for you to be a bridesmaid, I'm hoping Astoria and Andromeda will be too, oh Merlin, Draco is going to have kneasles when he finds out"

"I would be honoured, and Draco wouldn't deny you a chance of happiness" Hermione's enthusiasm was beginning to catch "Can I see the ring?"

Narcissa held out her hand for the young witch to inspect

"It's so beautiful, you're just full of surprises Harry, after all these years I thought I knew everything, but shouldn't Narcissa have had a say in choosing the ring?"

"I didn't think about that, I was so focused on proposing" a red flush crept across his face and to spare his blushes his fiancé came to his rescue.

"It's fine, it's a magic ring, very old, goblin made, my great great grandparents had a pair, I couldn't be happier with it, besides I don't need fancy jewellery, I have everything I want" her blue eyes twinkled as she smiled.

The women began to talk animatedly about the wedding, Harry sat back and listened to the chatter, talk of dresses, colour schemes, catering, seating plans, the venue, the ceremony itself, the honeymoon, and the guests, none of it phased him, he wanted this, his only worries were about little things, a cold dread at the thought of having Ron as his best man was easily outweighed by another thought, exactly how many people would be sitting on his side, he wouldn't blame the Weasley's for not attending.

They had given him so much love and care over the years, they might even feel like they still owed him, he had saved several members of the family on numerous occasions, he had been humbled by how well they had taken the news of his split with Ginny. George and Angelina may attend, they seemed pretty neutral according to Ron, He had a feeling that somewhere down the line Arthur was related to Narcissa, but ultimately it would be Molly who would decide on their attendance.

There was always the slim chance that the ceremony would remain an intimate engagement, Druella hadn't said anything about a desire for a huge and extravagant wedding, he held out some hope that it would be that way, a small group of hand picked friends and family seemed more than adequate to him.

He mentioned that he was going down to the kitchen, she gently patted his leg, he rolled his eyes towards the ceiling and left them to get on with it, smiling to himself, this had been a great day. On the way down he used his DA coin to summon Ron, he was pretty sure he'd have it on him. As the kettle finished boiling Ron stepped out of the fireplace.

"You called?" his eyes came to rest on the cup next to Harry "brilliant, I could murder a cuppa"

Harry shook his head and retrieved a second cup from the cupboard, Ron filled the silence with all his latest news and with the tea finished, he fetched a pack of biscuits and they sat down at the table.

"Cracking cup of tea mate, cheers, so what did you want?"

"I asked Narcissa to marry me, and I want you to be my best man"

Harry skilfully avoided the inevitable splutter of tea and biscuit, cleaning away the mess with a flick of his wand, his best friend at least had the decency to look apologetic.

"Bloody hell mate, best man, that's some serious responsibility, congratulations and all that"

He received a hearty clap on the shoulder from the red haired man, he proceeded to tell Ron all about his day, he quietly uttered a few well chosen swear words as Harry recounted every detail of his meeting with Druella, Ron told him that stories and rumours about Druella Black had circulated for years, back in the days when his Dad was just starting out in the Ministry he had heard many things about the Black family, Cygnus was powerful and well respected, no one dared go near them, the Ministry was corrupt and devoid of teeth, a real example of an old boys club, an organisation ruled by the exchange of galleons and a fear of wealthy pure blooded families whose names were synonymous with the dark arts, it was no wonder Voldemort managed to gain such an advantage when the dark arts went completely unchecked.

As a child growing up in a world of magic, Ron had no concept of the fears harboured by muggle children, if something went bump in the night, the chances were pretty good that something was doing the bumping, so it amused Harry to hear that instead they were kept in line by the mere mention of Druella Black, he wouldn't have been surprised if the witches in muggle fairy tales were based on her, his friend looked suitably puzzled when Harry asked if she had ever owned a gingerbread house. As an adult, Ron's dad had told him less fantastical stories, how she apparently hunted muggles for sport, none of this was ever confirmed, she was seldom seen, and her eldest daughter took on the dubious honour of becoming even more terrifying than her mother.

Harry removed his glasses and cleaned each lens carefully on the hem of his T-shirt, he replaced them and pushed them up the bridge of his nose.

"I want your mum and dad to hear about this from me, it's only a matter of time before I no longer have that luxury"

"I understand mate, let's do it, right now"

He agreed, they went back upstairs to tell the two women their plans. They had been busy, a small table had been conjured and it was covered in note paper and swatches of coloured cloth, Hermione looked at them as they entered, a little guiltily it had to be said, she told Harry that she would be returning to Hogwarts that evening and would be popping back and forth to help out, at Narcissa's request.

The bride-to-be stood up and walked the short distance to Harry, she placed her hands either side of his face and pulled him into a searing kiss, a slight huff of discomfort from Ron, followed by a quiet hiss of admonishment from the brunette, she pointed to a spot on the floor in front of her and Ron ambled over, they talked together, allowing the happy couple to share a few quiet words of their own.

"What was that for?"

"Nothing, I don't need a reason Potter, you're all mine now, but you have made me the happiest woman alive"

"It never crossed my mind that you might say no, I just had my mind set on it and I couldn't be more pleased"

"I understand Hermione's frustrations with you now, always rushing in without a thought"

"Yeah, some things don't change it would seem"

"I hope it goes well with the Weasleys"

"I won't be gone long, but Molly and Arthur deserve to hear this from me"

"I understand, hurry back"

With a final kiss she went back to her seat and picked up where she left off with Hermione, the two men took their leave. They apparated to a hill overlooking the burrow, they laughed and chatted as they strolled towards the building. It hadn't changed at all over the years, even Bellatrix had failed to leave a permanent mark on the impossibly stacked house, they had all come together to help rebuild it, it stirred many feelings within him, but he couldn't help feeling a little apprehensive, it was too much to ask for the Weasleys to accept what he had to tell them.

As usual, the instantly recognisable figure of Molly Weasley came scurrying across the yard to greet them, Arthur stood in the doorway and waved. Progress back to the house was slow due to Ron's mum constantly fussing over them, eventually they were ushered into the living room and provided with drinks. They chatted about the world at large until eventually the conversation dried up, Ron gave his friend an encouraging nudge.

"Something on your mind Harry?"

"Is it that obvious Mr. Weasley? Yes there is, I have some news and I wanted you to hear it from me"

"Don't be shy dear you're among friends" Mrs. Weasley came and sat next to her husband

"I'm getting married"

Molly recovered from the initial shock first, but not before giving Ron a searching look, in that brief look, the Weasley matriarch managed to convey that her youngest son was in serious trouble for not even mentioning the fact that Harry had met someone else, let alone reached this stage in the relationship, Ron's ears had begun to turn pink.

"That's lovely dear, Ronald hadn't even mentioned you were dating, who's the lucky girl?"

"It's Narcissa, Narcissa Black"

The silence that followed his proclamation stretched on into the infinite, if anything, Mr. Weasley's attempt to diffuse the tension made things worse.

"That's nice Harry, we'll be distantly related" he chuckled nervously

"You can't be serious, this is some kind of joke"

She looked at her son for the reassurance she needed, but it was not forthcoming.

"There is no way you could love that woman, let alone marry her, she must have done something to him Arthur, you're obviously under some kind of spell or potion"

"I promise you I'm not under any kind of spell"

Harry was quite alarmed when Molly drew her wand, Arthur and Ron both made a move towards her but she simply cast 'Finite Incantatam' before asking him who he was marrying, his answer remained the same and Molly seemed deflated, her posture sagged but her jaw was set firm.

"Harry, she may not have been a Death Eater but she was happily married to one for many years and she helped hide the evil bitch who tried to kill your ex-wife, my baby girl and she tried to destroy our home, Narcissa is no different, she is a Black through and through"

"You can't help who you are related to, I mean look at my Aunt and Uncle, I'm not excusing what Bellatrix did, she killed Sirius, but she also kept Narcissa safe in her own twisted way, Narcissa was frightened for her life, she never wanted to be a part of Voldemort's world, everything changed for her when he returned. Bellatrix was evil, but Narcissa had no control over her"

Mrs Weasley's mouth opened and closed as she thought hard for a new angle of attack.

"Have you forgotten that she stood by while her sister defiled poor Hermione?"

"No, I will never forget that, but Narcissa worked out the counter curse, Hermione is as good as new, they are both at Grimmauld Place organising the wedding, I wanted to tell you myself in case you heard it elsewhere, I also want to invite you along, formal invitations will be sent out of course"

"I'm sorry Harry, I don't see that happening, we will not be attending, I can barely believe you can stand to be anywhere near that terrible woman, I think it best that you leave"

"Molly I don't think there's any call for that"

"Be quiet Arthur, that woman should be in Azkaban where she belongs, I can only begin to imagine what Andromeda will have to say about this, poor Teddy, he adores you Harry, there's no way you'll be allowed near him while you cavort with that, that,..."

It appeared that Molly didn't quite possess the vocabulary to describe her dislike for Narcissa, he opened his mouth to defend her and to tell the furious woman that she was wrong, but the look on Arthur's face changed his mind.

Mr. Weasley touched his wife's arm as he tried to get through the blind hatred but she batted him away, Harry felt like his heart had been ripped from his chest, he stood and met Arthur's gaze, he seemed to say that he'd try and talk to her. As Ron got up to leave with his friend he was frozen in his tracks.

"You're not going anywhere Ronald Weasley, sit back down this instant"

As if pushed by an invisible hand, Ron crumpled back down into his seat, Harry cut a lonely figure as he left the place he had called home so many times and trekked back up the hill, he spent a long time composing himself, he didn't want to return home in a state, he knew it would only upset Narcissa, a few hot tears prickled at the corners of his eyes and one spilled lazily onto his cheek, he rubbed at his eyes vigorously and took several deep breaths.

As he finished getting himself together the lanky frame of his friend came into view, he picked up his pace and was soon standing with Harry, panting heavily.

"Well that could have gone better"

"No shit mate, Mum's going spare, Dad's trying to calm her down, he managed to stop her mailing Ginny, that's something at least, you should know that after she won her duel against Narcissa's sister, she had a lot of trouble sleeping and nightmares, I mean it's not everyday you kill someone, I'm sure she'll come round, I don't think you deserved that"

Ron didn't seem convinced but Harry appreciated hearing it all the same.

"How come she let you go?"

"I just made a dash for it when she was distracted by dad"

"Both brave and stupid, you'll answer for that later, come on lets go"

Back in the kitchen at Grimmauld Place, Harry splashed water on his face and hoped it would erase any trace of his distress, his nerves were slowly calming down and when he felt halfway normal he readied himself for heading back upstairs, Ron was going to head back to the shop, he had things to do, they embraced and then he was alone.

He walked slowly up to the entrance hall, a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Evening Mrs Black"

"Congratulations Mr Potter, I've never seen my niece so happy, not since she was a little girl"

"Thank you, she's very special, I love her deeply"

"She's very lucky to have you, you should probably go to her, I won't keep you any longer"

He slowly shook his head, smiling, he took the stairs with renewed enthusiasm and headed for the living room.

Narcissa's face lit up the moment she saw him and made space for him next to her, he sat and lay his head on her chest while she idly stroked his hair.

"Tough visit?" he nodded

"Molly took it badly, Arthur didn't say much, only that we'll be distant family through marriage, that didn't go over well at all"

"We'll send out the invites and see what happens, I'm sure it'll work out in the end"

"Have you eaten?"

"I was waiting for you"

Kreacher was promptly summoned and they ate a simple meal, deciding that the day had been pretty emotional and draining for both of them they retired for the night, Harry was certain he wouldn't be able to shut off his brain and prepared for an unsettled night, he fell asleep almost instantly, Narcissa watched him for a while before she carefully wrapped her arms around him and settled herself.

The next morning they woke, refreshed, Harry's mood felt lighter, they picked a date for the wedding, the middle of summer, it was a few months away, but as the preparations became more demanding she wanted to utilise Hermione's talents for being able to organise everything, but didn't want to overload her while she was still teaching.

By remarkable good fortune, their trips out together barely got met with anything more than a raised eyebrow, and in the space of a week they had chosen the outfits for Harry, Ron and Draco, Teddy was still only pencilled in as ring bearer, but Harry was confident that he was coming along with Andromeda, the invites were written and ready to be delivered, it was a much larger pile than they had anticipated, but after several failed attempts at trying to thin out the guest list, they had given up.

The arrangements had been made for the delivery of the invitations, Harry couldn't help feeling anxious, the first reply arrived not more than an hour after they were sent and it was from Druella, Narcissa wasn't the least bit surprised, Andromeda's came next, written in part by a very excited Teddy.

With each response Harry's unease grew, he couldn't quite understand it, the replies so far were safe, expected, Ron, Hermione, Draco and Astoria, they had all responded in good order. He was gratefully distracted by a more pressing matter, they needed someone to perform the bonding, the list was short, but that didn't make the choice any easier, in the end it came down to Minerva McGonagall or Kingsley Shacklebolt.

In the end Narcissa's logic won the day, asking the Minister of Magic to perform the wedding rites wasn't exactly low key, a carefully drafted letter was dispatched to Hogwarts with strict instructions for it to be given to the headmistress directly.

The weekend was approaching, Harry was looking forward to seeing his two best friends, he thought he'd been hiding his feelings well until he snapped at Narcissa over dinner. He saw the hurt in her eyes and told her all of what was said the day he visited Molly and Arthur, she had known something was the matter and knew he would tell her eventually, she did her best to comfort him, his apology was accepted but unnecessary, this had been one of her biggest fears.

That night as he slept, Narcissa wondered if there was anything she could do for him, she wouldn't let this ruin what was looking to be the happiest day of their lives, she wanted it to be perfect, there was only one option available to her and with a plan of action in mind, she finally slept.

She woke first, kissed Harry gently on his forehead and dressed, she picked a figure hugging dress, she wanted to look smart, it was cut long and ended just above her ankles, she found a pair of comfortable heels, tied her hair into a messy bun, and staked it in place with her wand, she wanted to travel light today and the dress didn't have a place for it.

She bumped into Hermione on the way downstairs, the brunette was eager to get started, Narcissa had a feeling the young woman would be the glue that kept everything together, the older woman hugged her briefly, the girl was bursting with ideas, Narcissa told her she was going out and wouldn't be long, and if she could tell Harry when he finally got out of bed.

When she reached her destination she immediately regretted her choice of footwear, progress was slow on the rocky and uneven path, at last it turned into a proper path and not long after that, an unfamiliar building came into view, she opened the gate, rusty hinges creaked in protest, unchallenged, she walked confidently up to the front door and knocked sharply. The door was wrenched open, the usually amiable face of Molly Weasley took one look at the woman and surprise quickly turned to anger.

"You! How dare you show up here unannounced, you're not welcome here"

"I just want to talk about Harry"

"I'm convinced you've cast some kind of spell on the poor boy, I don't want to hear anything you have to say, how could he love a cold, heartless bitch like you?"

"He's not a boy, and I've done nothing to him, I do love him and he loves me"

Narcissa tried hard to keep a lid on her anger, this task was made harder by the derisive snort, she balled her hands into fists and used the discomfort caused by her nails digging in to her palms, to keep herself grounded

"You should be ashamed of yourself Molly, you are the closest thing he has to a mother, and you can't see past your misguided hate, I could understand if you were torn between Harry's happiness and your daughter's feelings, but so much time has passed, it's time to let it go"

"Don't you dare tell me how I should behave, you're cut from the same cloth as your sister, she tried to destroy my home, she tortured a teenage girl while you stood by and watched and then she tried to kill my daughter"

"Do you see Andromeda the same way?" the calmly uttered question made Molly stop for just a moment before she spat out a response

"She had the good sense to leave before the rot set in"

"Bella was lost years ago, but she spared me and my family from true horrors, things that you can barely imagine, and you bested her in a duel, yet you don't hear me screaming for the blood of the woman who killed her"

Narcissa had no time to react to Molly Weasley's spell, the slap echoed around the yard and made the blonde's ears ring, she reached for the handle of her wand, her hair fell free around her shoulders and she backed slowly into clear space, the red haired witch matched her pace for pace, they circled slowly. Molly's next spell almost sent her tumbling into the mud.

"It appears you were too preoccupied with looking good to dress for a duel"

"I didn't come here to duel, I just came to talk"

As they continued to circle she stepped out of her heels and shredded her dress to free her legs, she deflected the next slapping hex, startling a passing chicken, the poor creature shed a pillow's worth of feathers and erratically flapped its way to safety.

She moved with the grace of a stalking predator and switched to a more offensive stance, Narcissa attempted to disarm Molly, a quick succession of spells cracked and echoed all around. Arthur Weasley stood on the doorstep with his mouth agape at the scene in front of him.

"Molly, I beg you, please stop, this is madness, someone will get hurt"

His plea fell on deaf ears, Bellatrix had underestimated Molly's ability, her sister's arrogance was her downfall, she wouldn't make the same mistake, she had no intention of hurting her, Harry would struggle to forgive her for that, but she would make her see sense one way or another.

"You should listen to your husband, I really don't want to hurt you"

"You can try"

Arthur went back inside, the two women didn't even notice, Narcissa fired off a spell hoping to catch her opponent off guard but Molly was ready for it, spells of varying strength and colour flashed between them, most were deflected but some hit their mark leaving superficial cuts and bruises, fatigue was coming. Molly was sweating, her hair was frizzy and windswept, during the ceasefire Narcissa attempted to end it with reason.

"What can I do to prove that I love him?"

The question caused the red haired woman to pause for just a second, this change of tack caught her by surprise, Narcissa didn't care for the expression forming on Molly's face.

"I'm not saying that I'll believe you, but if what you say is true, throw down your wand"

The blonde should have seen it coming, she felt a slight sting as her pride took a blow.

"How very Slytherin of you, very well"

She held her head high and fixed her ice blue eyes on the woman opposite, her wand arm fell to her side and she released her hold on her wand, it clattered quietly on the ground, she slowly closed her eyes and waited, for what, she didn't know.

The wind and occasional bird song was all she could hear, the quiet was broken by muffled voices coming from inside the house, a door opened, followed by the sound of running feet, her body went rigid as a pair of hands came to rest on her shoulders, she opened her eyes and found worried green ones looking into hers.

"Are you hurt?" she shook her head "couldn't you have just sent her a strongly worded letter?"

"It's not really my style" she let out a weak chuckle

Hermione, Ron and Arthur looked out from the front doorway, they all looked a bit pale, Harry looked at Narcissa, he'd never seen her look so dishevelled, her dress was torn to ribbons, her feet were dirty from the mud of the yard, her hair was wild, a few trickles of blood had stained her usually perfect alabaster complexion, but he didn't care and kissed her anyway, she threw her arms around his neck and clung to him, they parted and she rested her forehead against his.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to make it better, I didn't come to fight"

"I know, you didn't need to do that for me, I love you so much"

As they stood there hugging someone clearing their throat caught their attention.

"I think we should go inside and have a chat Harry dear, I hope Narcissa will see fit to join us"

It wasn't an apology, but it was a start, he turned to the woman on his arm and she smiled at him and nodded, she retrieved her wand and her shoes and they filed into the house.