Narcissa

Inus went to a muggle pet store on Saturday. The snake didn't talk to him and the hissing only made him feel stupid. He wondered if he was mistaken about Harry taking to the snake at the zoo because he was obviously not a Parselmouth. How could he get something like that wrong? Sure, it was a memory of a memory, but it felt so real. Shaking his head, he left the store.

After making love to Severus, Inus put on his nightshirt and fell asleep. Only to be woken up later by Narcissa firetalking to Severus in the early morning hours. Narcissa, this willowy blonde in black sexy underwear, came into the bed chamber with a crack and pop from the fireplace.

Unable to sleep through the sounds caused by the floe, Inus stirred in bed and sat up. Out of half-masted eyes, Inus saw Severus hand Narcissa Inus's a dressing gown.

"Cissa, put this on," said Severus in a near whisper.

Whisper now! The fireplace wasn't exactly silent a moment ago.

"Meda told me to break an object that my husband has suddenly taken a fancy to and the reluctant spirit would be released," explained Narcissa. "No energy came out of my husband equal to what was in the ring. Something went wrong."

Rubbing his eyes, Inus asked, "How much magic was released from the ring?" The ring must have been the Slytherin heirloom Lucius had on his finger. Inus couldn't help but wonder how she got it off him without waking him. Then again, Lord Voldemort had been without a body for a long time and Narcissa was more beautiful than your average muggle model.

"Enough to throw me across the room," Narcissa said. "My husband couldn't have slept through an equal release of magic."

Severus put an arm around the sexy blonde and explained, "There are four other pieces and we now know how much energy will be released when we break one and we also know they can be destroyed."

Thankful that the castle had a draft and, thus, he needed to wear a nightshirt to sleep, Inus pulled the blanket over him since he had no shorts on under the nightshirt. In a warmer room, he would have been only wearing the blanket. "Mrs. Malfoy, I'd love to continue this conversation since one of those horcruxes was my previous body. However, I'm not dressed for company."

"Previous body?" asked Narcissa.

"Since I was teasing Draco about getting a snake, I went to a pet store to look at one. However, I'm no longer a Parselmouth."

"Shit!" Severus jumped to a standing position away from Narcissa. "The part in Lucius is bigger than the part that was in Quirrell."

Inus was shaking by now. His previous body was really a horcrux. They couldn't have killed Voldemort without first killing Harry. Tears started pouring out of his eyes. When he couldn't speak snake at the pet store, he wasn't certain that Harry spoke parseltongue since he couldn't remember the events in question directly - only memories of memories made in his current body.

Severus walked back to the bed and started rubbing Inus's back. "Darling, the piece in Harry reconnected with the pieces in Quirrell when the Dark Lord entered Harry four years ago."

"That is suppose to make me feel better," said Inus, pulling back the tears. "Hagrid, Dumbledore and Ollivander told me that I was this great wizard when all I was was a container of Voldemort's soul."

"Inus, When Harry's soul travelled to Quirrell's body, that piece of You-Know-Who stayed behind," said Severus. "You're only Harry now. We can't change what happened. Since the Dark Lord wouldn't have known about that piece, the number that remain is still four."

"Four horcruxes," repeated Narcissa. "My sister said having a horcrux would bound a spirit to earth. Why would anyone have more than one?"

"Lord Voldemort felt seven was a lucky number." The tears had stopped, but Inus was still visibly shaking. "He had seven with Harry, only he didn't know it."

"I can't go back to the house," said Narcissa. "He'll know I took the ring."

"Draco can go back and find any other horcruxes," said Severus. "Lucius won't allow the Dark Lord to hurt his only child."

"He's stronger now," said Narcissa. "You just told me that. What if Lucius can't stop him?"

"Lucius is there," said Inus. "I could see him acknowledging me when I spoke to him. Draco will be careful since he's been forewarned."

Severus put a hand on Narcissa's shoulder. "Cissa, I hate to trouble you further, but were there any young people around the manor or transacting business with Lucius?"

"Draco and Pansy," said Narcissa.

"Other young people," said Severus. "How do I break it to you gently? The Dark Lord needs unicorn blood to bind him to a host. Only a virgin can collect it."

"And Draco and Pansy aren't virgins," Narcissa concluded. "He's only fifteen. He's a baby."

Severus put a hand around Narcissa. "I hate to be the one to tell you, but I caught them in a compromising position last year. I talked to Pansy about birth control."

"I should have known with all the sneaking out," said Narcissa. "I really don't recall anyone else. The house elves would know if anyone came or left the premises."

Severus patted Narcissa's back. "You go over to the Gryffindor Tower and bunk with Minerva. We'll talk later after we're all well-rested."

Narcissa said her good-byes and left the room through the door. Hopefully, she was taking Severus's advice and spending the night with Minerva.

"I would go to the third floor corridor and read Mum's letter to Quirinus, but if I'm called Harry one more time, the waterworks will start flowing, again." Inus clutched the knee of his good leg. "Sev, hug me."

Severus climbed back into bed. "Inus, you're free of the Dark Lord. As free as anyone can be while he exists. We have to destroy the other horcruxes. Narcissa forced our hand. It will be over soon."

"Draco is too young to face the Dark Lord alone," Inus cried.

"He has us for support and we'll talk to Albus and Minerva. I'm not Albus. I won't send a boy off to do a man's job." Severus held Inus's hand. "Draco needs to feel that he is helping his father. My father, a muggle, beat me because he couldn't understand how his boy could read minds. I learned hexes at a young age and used them on my muggle father. Your father called you a squib and ignored you. Relationships between fathers and sons are difficult at best."

"I understand all that." Inus could remember Frank Quirrell, his father, ignoring him through the fog that was his memories. One set of sad memories from another. Madame Bell painting the ghost of Harry under his new painting as the Triwizard Tournament champion said he was a spirit possessing a formerly dead body. No matter how he prettied it up that was all he was ever going to be.

Severus wrapped his arms around Inus. "Go to sleep. We'll deal with Draco in the morning."