Chapter 24

Draco had known the summer was not going to be without trials for any of them, but when the he and Jane had got to Grimmauld place, he had not thought he was going to have to place Molly Weasley quite so far up that list.

Apparently, that was a mistake.

"That women is a menace," he would hear Jane grumble as she, left the room she had just been in with the red head.

Draco had a suspicion that she longed for the days when it was just been himself, her and his father in their home. She longed for peace. And as much as she tried to hold her tongue, it wasn't easy.

Jane was beginning to lose patience with the number of things that the red headed women was able to do better than she was. Her cooking was not as good Molly's was. She had to follow a receipt rather than do it by memory. Yet, she had not had to cook at all when she had been at home. This was all new to her. Even her attempts at washing up was not as good (did the two of them not wave there wands the same way?)

And she had apparently had death with the cleaning of the house without logic.

Her only defence was, she had gone to the rooms which she had known were going to be used the most.

"It is all a bit funny isn't it though?" Ron had voiced his opinion on the clearing war.

"Yes, of course, it is," Draco nodded. The point scoring was, for now, amusing. He did not know how long for was going to stay that was but he was going to enjoy it while it lasted.

Hermione gave the two of them a grin but said nothing. "Oh, I hate you," the three of them heard a cry from outside and Draco could only be relieved that it was not Jane or Molly who had made that proclamation.

In the next moment the only Weasley daughter came into the in with a sigh. "I wish the two of them had not passed now."

The three teens knew what had come on with that blinding in sight. The newly able to apparate twins were enjoying their new skill.

"Say no more."

But she did.

"The two of them were right outside of my bed room when I came out. It was creepy."

"It was funny." Fred told her as he followed her in.

And it was in Ron's eyes that he thought it was sorry as well - and so he begun to laugh as well.

"Do you think that Harry is going to be able to laugh in the same way we all are?" Hermione said to him later that day as the two of them sat in the room that had been assigned to Draco.

Though they had asked Ron to come and study with them, he had said it was far too early in the holidays for him to be even consider doing such a thing.

Now Hermione had to say she was sorry for that. Had he come with the two of them, there would have been a much greater chance of the two of them getting something which was actually productive done.

Instead, their books were laid out on the floor, opened at the pages they were meant to be looked at - but the two of them were on his bed, their arms about one another.

"I am not going to say this is not one of the very worst things he has been through because it is - but he has always found a way back to laughter in the end and if he can't then it is our job to get him there."

She looked up at him from where she had been laying her head on his chest.

"You're a good friend. You know that don't you?"

"I am hoping I can be good at something other than friendship," he told her and the two of them looked at one another.

He - he wondered if this was what all young people felt when the set out on the sort of thing the two of them seemed to be...

Or if it was something deeper. His father had said to him there was going to be a day when he did not see girls as he had when he had been a lad.

And it did seem as if that day had come.

Hermione shifted position so that she sat more upwards. Her hand spread out of his chest and he was able to feel everyone of her fingers on his chest and if he just bent down then the two of them were going to be kissing once more.

And he knew that was what he wanted.

That was what he wanted more than anything.

"Draco, Hermione, the two of you need to come down stairs!" they heard Ron call to them from down the stairs.

"He cannot come up to study with us and yet he can interrupt the two of us at just this moment," she said as she got up off of the bed. As she looked back at him, he was glad he was able to see the desire that was in his eyes for her.

But there was no time to say to not right then.

Opening the door, she felt an annoyance.

"Why on earth did you need us Ronald?" Hermione asked as she came down the stairs.

That was when she saw the reason the two of them had had to come downstairs. It was not so much of a reason as a person.

"Harry!" Draco said ion shock from behind her.

"We were not expecting you yet, were we?" said Hermione as she took in more of the scene. Professor Lupin and Tonks, stood by his side.

"There was a natural acceleration of events shall we say?" Arthur Weasley sighed.

Hermione did not know if that was a good or a bad thing... the adults did look as if there was something to worry about - apart from Sirius, who had his godson in his own home for the first time in years.

He looked as if he had all the Christmas' had come at once.

X x x

The night that Harry got to Grimmauld place, they were all at sixes and seven. He was soon installed in a room, with Ron, Draco being one of the only of the teenagers who had a room to himself. Hermione was sharing with Ginny and the twins had a room to himself.

The young Ravenclaw was not sure if he would have liked someone else with him some nights. He got had used to someone else being in with him when he had been at school. And it was not as if he was in his own room at his own house. The nights could get lonely he supposed.

But at least they were all together during the day.

"Now all of you are going to have to go upstairs," said Molly as she came into the living room with a tray of orange squash and the like. "For tonight there is going to be a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix."

"But why can we not stay down for it?" Harry was to the first to say what they were all thinking.

That this was there war. The first war had belonged to their parent's generation but this was their war. After all they had all done - was it not time they were treated as adults? If there was any fighting to be done, it was going to be him and his friends who were going to be in the front lines. He was after all the 'chosen one'.

"The only people who are allowed in the meeting room tonight are the members of the Order of the Phoenix."

Naturally, they all offered to join it only to be told you had to be of age to do so.

At the very least, the adults had to give him more information about the Order of the Phoenix itself. Draco was among the first to agree with that. It struck him that while he had been in the house the longest out of him and his friends, he did not know an awful lot more than Harry did. And while this was the cause his father was risking his life for, he should know more about it. But it was inevitable that in a house full of parents, children and very strong personalities that even the little they had asked for should cause an argument.

No matter what else she was, Molly Weasley was a mother and the most natural instinct in the world was the one a mother to defend her child. If she was unable to relate to her in every other way then, that was something Jane was able to relate to Molly in.

And so she was able to understand why she did not want them to know any more than they had too. She really did. But at the same time, she did not know how much good it was going to do the kids to keep this from them. And Draco was no child. She did not know why he should not know all, or at least some of the facts.

Lucius would not thank her for trying to keep him in cotton wall when he had said it was time for them to be honest with him.

Thus when Sirius and Molly begun to fight, her backing and her beliefs and her sympathies had to be divided.

"Jane, will you please tell him that the children are too young for this?" Molly asked.

She could all but feel Draco's eyes bearing into her.

"I - I do not think I can make a call when it comes to Harry, Hermione or your own children. I can only speak for Draco. He is going to find his best defence in knowledge and so I would have him know more and not less."

Molly looked as if she was exasperated.

"Oh, I do not know why I looked to you for help. It is not as if you are a mother. You do not know how this feels."

Now it was Molly Welasey whose Draco eyes were bearing into. He had been about to sound off when he saw Jane shake her head. The last thing she wanted was for him to kick off at the mother of his best friend. She was sure none of them needed that.

But she feared she was not quick enough to hide the hurt on her face for Draco had seen it.

And it did sting. She was a guardian and itself that made her a parent: she had brought up a child. the only thing she had not done was give birth to him.

"How about this for a compromise?" she said as she tried to keep her cool. "You will all go up and do as you're told while the meeting is going on and then you can come down and ask what questions you like. I am not going to say we are going to give you all the answer but at least you are all going to get a chance to ask a few."

She looked first to Draco for support and for a moment she had feared he was not going to give it to her, but at the last moment he nodded and turned to go up the stairs. Hermione was not long in following him up. And with their numbers weakening, it was not long until the Weasley's were heading up too.

Harry could hardly stand on his own.

The kids were all soon up there and Jane could not say she was not relieved.

But neither did she want to be on her own with Molly.

For the first time, she found she was glad she had Sirius with her.

"I am going to make a few sandwiches for when everyone gets here," she said to him gently.

"You know you do not have too. I know you were house keeper when you were at the Malfoy manor but you do have to be here," he said and yet she was able to hear there was an amusement there too. As well as an admiration if she was not mistaken.

"You know I like to be busy," she sighed as she headed off to the kitchen.

Molly did not talk to Jane while she was setting up for the meeting, which was a blessed relief.

For half an hour, she made sandwiches and soup and made sure that the kitchen was spotless - and that was when the guest begun to arrive.

Mungdungus Fletcher was one of the first to arrive, and she had to say it was not long until she had a pretty low opinion of him and his personal hygiene.

After him the professor who lead the Order came in and as ever he was respectful to her, greeting her as Miss Greenwood before he turned to Sirius and the Weasley's as well as Remus Lupin. Having some members of the order who had been in it last time was an obvious comfort to Albus Dumbledore. They were not all newbies like she herself was.

It had been as she had been making the tea that she felt a pair of hand of her shoulders and she did not have to turn to know who they belonged too. She knew.

Putting her own hand on top, she smiled. "I have missed you," she said as she put the spoon down and turned to embrace the man who was her best friend in the whole world.

All the loneliness of the past few weeks, the anxieties she had had if she was doing the best for Draco and the worries she had over Molly faded somewhere into the background as she embraced Lucius.

"How are you, are you hurt?" she asked as she drew back.

"Not hurt."

"But you're clearly exhausted."

"Yes - a little tired."

"Here - it was meant to be for Tonks, but you can have this tea. Let me add another sugar," she said with a wave of her wand.

"There is no need to fuss me, Jane, Lucius laughed. The first time he had laughed in weeks actually.

"Oh, I am sorry, my dear, but I do think there is every need for me to fuss you and you are not getting away so fast."

He laughed indulgently. At least, she was the same as she had ever been.

"How's my boy?"

"He is falling in love. And he is fighting his own corner and he is behaving himself just about. He's fine."

"I am going to need to know more about that falling in love comment."

"And so you will. After the meeting."

The meeting took well over the hour and was an eye opener to Jane. She had been a member of the Order before she had come to that house and yet this was her first meeting. She had no idea what to expect when she had sat down between Lucius and Severus (who was a late arrival). She had known it was going to be dark, but she had no idea just how dark it was going to be.

First of all, Dumbledore took the floor and he welcomed the new members of the Order into it as well as welcomed the old faithful back. Lucius could not help but compare the way he welcomed his followers back to the way that Voldemort had. Again, he was not entirely sure if the professor had his full allegiance (surely that could only ever lie with his family) but he had to admit it was a lot more gentle.

Lucius and Severus were the next to speak. As the ones who were going under cover to try and infiltrate Voldemort's plans, they were also the only two who needed the time that Dumbledore did to fill in the others on what had been going on.

The two of them were unable to tell them much more than they already knew, except to say that the Dark Lord was thought there was a weapon that was going to strength him. In spite of the fact that Lucius and Severus were among the men who he believed to be the most loyal, he had still not told them what the weapon was or how he was going to get it.

Through out there presentation it was obvious that Sirius was seething. In his view, the two men were once Death Eaters and such they were always going to be Death Eaters. How they had the right to stand where James had once he did not know.

"How long is it going to be before the two of you find out what this weapon is, so we are going to be able to defend it better?" asked Arthur.

"Believe me when I say we are working on it," Severus said with a curled lip.

But that was just the point, thought Jane. They did not trust them. Not really.

After that, the duties for the next few weeks were arranged. Mainly, there was not a lot to do until they discovered what the weapon was, but recruitment was top of the list. There was still room for a few chairs in the kitchen and there must be more people than them who wanted to defend their safety of their world.

There had to be.

The only three who were not given a specific task were Sirius, Molly and Jane who were on child care duties until the kids were back at Hogwarts. Then, Molly and Jane would step up - but until he was a free man there was not an awful lot Sirius was able to do. And that was not going to be changing any time soon.

Severus was among the members of the order who had to go as soon as the meeting was done, but Lucius was not among that number. Along with the woman who had had once barely acknowledged as his niece and professor Lupin, he was to remain for a while.

The teens were called, a delighted Draco was soon reunited with his father and they all sat down together. Whilst the Order meeting had been going on it seemed as of Molly had calmed a little, but it was not long until her heckles were back up.

"They are too young to know this," she said as the questions begun.

"Molly," Sirius sighed. "If that is the way you feel, then Ron and Ginny better leave the room. Harry is staying and so is Draco."

"Yes, because Lucius is such a wonderful parent."

The wizard was about to speak out but his son did it for him. "I'd rather have him over you," Draco growled.

It had been one thing to let it go when it had been Jane - but no one but him got to insult his father.

"That's enough darling," Jane muttered from the other side of his father.

Silence took the room, and harry took the opportunity to fill it. "So how are you trying to convince people not to join him?"

"Well, first of all," Tonks said, "we have to convince people he is really back."

The conversation, with the limited information the adults were able to offer the students did not last a lot longer than five minutes, but it was better than the nothing they had had before.

As soon as it did close, Draco left the room, not even counting the fact his father was there enough of a reason to stay put.

"You had better go after him," Jane told Lucius as she begun to clear away the mugs.

"I won't leave without saying goodbye to you," he nodded as he stood up.

"You'd better not," Jane agreed.

As Lucius walked through the house he felt the weight of time on him. Even if he had not actually been here with her, he always felt as if something was weighing on his chest whem he was somewhere new, but also where he knew she had been before him. Where he knew she had run free as a child and taken tea and -

He sighed. Looking into one of the rooms of the ground floor, he found his son seething.

"Not very gentlemanly behaviour their son."

"Bollucks to that - "

"Language!" Lucius admonished his son.

"Dad, we are in the middle of a war, and you are telling me off because of a bit of bad language."

"So he can comprehend me after all. That was not the way you were brought up, do not let yourself down now."

"You heard her, going on at you. Were you seriously going to let that slide?"

"In case you have temporarily lost your mind, I tried to give her daughter a one way ticket to the chamber of secrets and I am not Mr. Popular in these parts. Yes, I was going to let it slide."

Draco did not even know if he believed what he was saying. Molly wasn't that bad and he, like Ron, had found her little tiff with Jane funny. The hug she had given him the night of the Third task lived in his mind as a warm memory. But just then, he felt as if he needed someone to seethe at. "You know, she has been going on at Jane ever since she got here. She has been trying to -"

"Then let her, because from what I have heard so far, you have got bigger fish to fry."

Draco looked at him, stunned.

"It does not take a genius to work out that you and Hermione - "

There was a silence in the room. It had been many years since his father had had to accept that he was going to be friends with muggle borns whether it was by his will or not. But Draco did not know if his father was going to be quite as accepting of him loving one.

The two of them looked each other in the eye.

"I have not come this far only to turn back now. If the truth is known, it has been many years since I had hopes you were going to make what I and your mother would have once called a good marriage," Lucius shrugged. "Does she make you smile?"

"More than most do."

"Well then - there is nothing left for me to say except take is slowly and make sure if one of you is going to get your heart broken, it is not you. I have not done all I have so that you can get hurt in the end anyway."

Lucius tapped him on the head and have him a smile.

If only the two of them were going to be able to go home at the end of the day. If only - Draco remember the way he had fallen asleep in his father's room after his second year.

The two of them had been in some ways further apart than they were then but - they had always found a way back to one another.

"I know there is no point in me asking what you are doing - "

"No, there is not. Something's I will tell you but - as I said in Dumbledore's office, there are simply things you do not need to know."

"It seems to me as if there is a lot I do not need to know about your life at times."

"We both know that I have not always walked in the light."

"But do you do now?"

"I hope I do. I do it for you, and for your uncle and Jane."

"She looked at you different when you came into the room tonight, you know that don't you?"

"We have been here once before."

"No, but it was different this time."

"Let it go," he said to him as he sat back.

There were some topics he was sure he was never going to feel quite right talking to his son about. And his love life, or lack of one, was one of those things.

The two of them then retreated into easier topics of conversation and the meeting became easier than it had been before.

And as ever, when the conversation became easy, the time passed too fast and it was not long until Draco found himself back up stairs with his friends, with no clear answer as to when he was going to get to see his father again.

X x x

"I am leaving now," Lucius told Jane as he went back into the kitchen. Everyone else was gone. No doubt they had dispersed to have quiet words in corners as he had done with his own son.

She alone remained.

Turning she nodded. "A good catch up?"

"It was good to see him - and to give him some advice. He is no longer a boy."

"No - no, he is a young man. And I am going to answer the questions he asked me, such as the ones he asked tonight, truthfully, if he comes to me," She told him.

"As his guardian, that is nothing more than your duty."

"And talking of guardians: how is Severus? He kept himself to himself tonight," she observed.

"Yes, I fear until all this is over you are going to be hard pressed to get a proper conversation out of him until all this over," Lucius sighed.

"Well, in that case I am going to miss him."

"We are all going to miss a lot of things until this is done with. I miss my family."

"And I miss our home. I like ruling over the manor. I just didn't realize how much until I came here."

"Draco said you were struggling to share the power."

Jane blinked. "That's one way of putting it."

"Well, you are not a hard women to get along with - I can only assume the problem does not lie with - "

"I was a sole woman in a household of men for over a decade, asides from dear Eliza," she laughed sadly, knowing that it took two to fight. "I think it is living with another woman I struggle with now... it is me as well as her," she looked down. She knew men. She was used to men. Her focus switched. "How are you? Really? Are you eating well?"

"I am, my dear."

"I'm glad. Bring the accounts books over next time you come, I would look at them," she muttered as he came towards her.

Putting a hand under her chin, he raised her to look at him. She was not as young as she had been when she came to him. But then neither was he. He was aware that the years had lined his face and he was felt more weary then than he had been since the first war. It was as the two of them looked in one another's eyes that Jane felt her own sting.

"I miss - this face," Lucius sighed. "Please - just tonight - give me enough to see me through."

She nodded. She knew he had wanted this for quite some time. Somehow the distance between the two of them made her desire it too. Any meeting could be the last. There could be no regrets... and this was not a time to deny...

He bent down and pressed his lips to hers. Near ten years it had been since he had felt a woman's lips truly upon his, ten years of celibacy and living like a priest. He was a young man, in his early forties. He could still have as many years before him and he did not want to be alone.

Not when he had someone in his life to be a light in the darkness.

Putting his hand on her lower back he pulled her closer, but it was then that she turned away. Placing a chaste kiss on her forehead, he released the truth of the matter. He had to convince her still. She was not entirely sure this was right.

But she had given him enough... and when the two of the looked one another in the eye again, he knew she had taken joy in what they had just done. She was not entirely convinced, but perhaps she was coming about.

Draco would be thrilled...

"Come back soon. Don't be away from us for too long," she almost whispered.

He nodded. "Goodnight, Jane."

"Goodnight."

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