Chapter XII: Arrival at Malfoy Manor
Harry and Draco arrived at the residence of the Malfoy home exactly on time as presumed, but this was mainly due to the circumstances surrounding the Dursley household currently. Harry knew that if Vernon had still been alive and living there, that unfortunately, the plan would not have gone as smoothly as he wanted it to.
He was a bit at a loss when he learned Vernon was dead, as he had never truly wished it on him, but all the same Harry felt guilty in his pleasure that he was gone and because he would not have to deal with his abuse any longer. He did not want Aunt Petunia to feel more hurt than she already was and Vernon was her husband whether he liked it or not.
"Harry, are you alright?" Draco asked softly
Harry sighed, "Yes, I suppose I am unless it is normal to feel pleasure in the death of one's family members and then to feel guilty over it too."
"Vernon loathed my very existence, and he did everything to ensure everyone else in our neighborhood did too. He hated me, and through me he hated everything of our world as well and I knew it as he never hid the fact from me at all, but yet in his last fight for his life and that of his family; he protected me for whatever reasoning he had to do so despite he loathed me. I am glad I do not need to endure his abuse any longer, but at the same time I feel guilty in the pleasure over his death because he was still my uncle and so technically I should be and grieving when really all I feel is a blank indifference to this."
Harry went silent in thought as Draco laid a hand to his mate's shoulder in comfort.
"Harry, I understand in some ways how you feel although it is definitely not the same scenario as the one you have. Many of the children of the death eaters who never wanted to be in the war resented their parents' involvement. They loved them as they brought life to them and loved them as they grew older, but as they aged; we all realized even if we were loved that to most of our parents...they had us because we were also tools created for being used as the next generation of our lord's disposable soldiers."
"Few of us had childhoods where we were protected from our lord's wrath if he was angry and those who didn't; they suffered more than the others. We loved them, our parents, but we also hated they sold their soul to a demon who would use us a non-entities like slaves he could in time replace with another so easily." Draco told him quietly
Harry nodded, "Yes, I see what you mean."
"Come, my mother is probably about to die of excitement in waiting to meet you." Draco drawled at him now with a lazy smirk
"Well then, we should do our best to avoid that, shouldn't we? Considering the favor we are going to be asking of her today as well?" Harry drawled back
As they both entered the foyer, a house-elf appeared promptly to take their coats and shrunken down luggage before vanishing again and telling them where they would find Mistress Malfoy.
Narcissa was located inside of what was once Lucius's study and seemingly pouring over a book containing medical magic knowledge. Draco cleared his throat loudly to garner her attention as when they had knocked…she didn't even hear it to answer them.
At the noise Narcissa looked up and saw her son and Harry side by side. Her eyes watered slightly before she collected herself again quickly.
"Draco, welcome home darling. How was the term?" She asked
"It was eventful as you well know, mother." Draco drawled to her
Her eyebrows rose to this sentiment, "Yes, well I can see how you would say that."
"Mother, this is Harry Potter as you know and he now holds the title of Lord Peverell by birthright." Draco said lightly
Narcissa stood and walked over before him and curtsied low, "It is a blessing and pleasure to host you in our home. I thank you for looking out for Draco at the school when others would have not been so kind given our position with the dark lord at the timing of things." She said
Harry nodded with a bright smile as he kissed her hand in greeting, "It was my pleasure Lady Malfoy, though I wish it had to have been under more pleasant times." Harry said
Narcissa eyed Harry slightly, "You know of the pureblood etiquette even when not having been raised with it?"
Harry sighed, "There is much I need to talk to you of Lady Malfoy and I would prefer not to have to repeat this more than necessary."
"Come then and sit with me and we shall talk." She said soft
The atmosphere in the study had increased in its intensity as the next hour drew to a close and as Harry's story had ended. Narcissa was stunned silent and in a seemingly great contemplative mood whilst Draco fidgeted in his seat slightly as his mother had yet to say anything.
Narcissa finally seemed to gather her thoughts, "Well, it certainly makes more sense now." She whispered to herself
"What does, mother?" Draco asked sharply as he heard just fine
Narcissa turned to them, "Draco, you know as well as I do that veela inheritances rarely occur early. Almost to the point where it is unheard of now, and last summer there was a period of time where you were in lots of pain, do you remember that?" She asked him
Draco nodded his head in slight understanding but also confusion as Harry flinched behind his mate at the recognition of her words.
"It makes sense that if Harry had early inheritance to his Peverell lineage and the dark elven blood within it manifested, which obviously it has, and he was wounded on top of this at the time; that because you were his soul-mate that during the change he was undergoing that you were feeling some level of Harry's pain through the bond even though it was not even recognized yet. It is remarkable as generally a bond such as this must be recognized for this to even occur, but Harry is special in a way that he is needed to save us and so maybe he was blessed by the drow goddess before he was ever born and she knew he would need this and granted it. We may never fully know."
"However, Harry's pain level was so great during his change that your body Draco knew it would not last if you tried to endure it in a more human genetic frame, and so his pain caused a catalyst reaction which started your veela inheritance early and so you would be alive." She said
Draco was silent as was Harry to this as both knew the truth in her words.
"Lady Malfoy, I am sorry if I have impeded on the natural course of things. I know that this circumstance is not exactly normal or even ideal for the times we are living in right now, but it must have happened for a reason we cannot totally piece together yet." Harry said
"I admit that I was wounded when the change started and I also admit that I was bleeding and nearly dead when my inheritance struck. The old magic healed these grievous wounds I had and when it was done I am the person you see before you now. I cannot change it and you know you can't either, but I believe that everything in our world happens for a reason."
Narcissa looked at Harry now with a fierce look, "If everything happens for a reason Lord Peverell, then why did my husband and my mate have to die for this to occur?" She yelled at him
Harry bowed his head, "I understand your sadness and anger at me for that even though I could not have controlled it. I was and still am the one who the dark lord wants to kill first and foremost and so he tried to obtain one of three full prophecies written of us through time. Lucius was there during the time me and my friends went to the department of mysteries to retrieve it unaware of the dark lord's ulterior motive at the time."
"Your husband knew things of the ministry no one else could get single-handed and this alone was why Tom Riddle wanted the Malfoy clan on his side through the years. He knew through his brief friendship with Draco's grandfather Abraxas that he could get information no one else had as long as he was on his side."
Harry had stood by now and was walking the length of the room as Narcissa watched him carefully with her eyes as though she was calculating and adding him up to what she believed was true.
"I do not claim to know your husband well and add to the fact that he was always either trying to kill me or make me indisposed never helped whenever we crossed paths. However, if there is one thing that I know for certain that Lucius valued above all else; it was the safety of his family. Of you and Draco from his Master's wrath and of his other death eater's wraths through Tom himself."
"His death was not an accident as we showed you and it was not in vain either. It brought me and Draco closer in friendship and then led us to discovering our soul-mate bond. Perhaps his death occurred because it was time to make a stand against Riddle and it was his way of freeing his son to choose his own path as Abraxas had not allowed him to do years ago before he married you." Harry said to her softly as he looked at her eyes
Narcissa saw the sincerity in Harry's eyes and the honesty in his words of wisdom though his age was half of hers. She saw his sadness for her loss and knew he had spoken true words as her eyes filled with tears.
"Narcissa I know you are hurting because of his loss and time wishing he was still here will not bring him back," Harry said as he knelt before her where she had fell to the floor and he held her hand, "But know that if you left us too that Draco would be the one suffering then and through your son's pain; I too would be hurting because he was hurting inside."
"Your son is my mate Narcissa, but you are his mother and his family. You gave life to the one who holds my heart and soul in his very hands. The same could be said in reverse, but if you left us right now too…there would be a dark hole in each of us for two very different reasons."
"I have a war to fight and to end and this may not be possible without our bond. If you die now; the world may never see peace again. I know you would not want to be responsible for this no matter how badly you are hurting because you would also subject your son to this if you did. Come back to us Narcissa and be whole once more." Harry asked of her gently
Draco didn't know what to say as he watched the scene before him. His eyes held tears down his face as Harry tried to reach his mother. Her grief had escalated to where she had withdrawn into herself. Harry must have realized this after he had told his story and Narcissa responded oddly. His mother was literally wasting away in front of him due to grief, anger, sadness and loneliness.
This was the fate of a veela soul-mate bond in the end if one died and the other was left behind the one who passed onward to their next life. Her and Lucius were soul-mates though they rarely spoke of it and their bond type was different than that Harry and Draco's to some extent. Here was Harry trying to reach her in the dark of her consciousness to bring her back from despair when she was lost to her loneliness. It broke Draco to see his mother like this, but it also strengthened him to know Harry was here and he was here for him if things went wrong.
"Narcissa, please, come back to us. Look at your son and see how this is effecting him." Harry said as he began to tear up now at the thought of not being able to help her anymore.
Deep inside Narcissa, she heard Harry calling and looked towards Draco, her son and only child. He was crying and held tears on his face. But why? She thought and then realized she was dying without Lucius there any longer, so she spoke the words she knew she had to say if time permitted it.
"Draco, dragon, why do you cry for me? Death comes to us all in time, but Lucius and I are like you and Harry in a way. Not meant to be a part from the other...even through time and space if allowed." She said in a soft tone, "I have been hurting for too long in his absence in my life, and the heavens call to my soul to come to them. Would you deny me peace and happiness with my mate in eternal slumber?" She asked them
Harry took in her words and his fists clenched, "We were too late, damn it." He yelled
"Mourn not for me now as my life is one full of happiness and has been lifted since you arrived here. You, Lord Peverell, saved my son's soul and as a last request I ask of you to rid the world of Tom Riddle for good as you were chosen to do."
"Draco, my dragon and my only child, you have grown into a fine young man though it was improper for me to say it aloud most times when I wanted to. You are Lord Malfoy now, and your life is your own. My only request of you is to live and to be happy with Harry as your mate and know that both Lucius and I along with most of the Potter clan will always be watching over you both."
"If you feel lost and do not know where to go; go to a place where familial magic is strong and there you may find answers to your questions." She said, "This is especially true for you Lord Peverell, as you are the last of your clan. Riddle's connection is false and he does not know that but in time he will."
Harry and Draco watched in sadness as tears fell from their eyes.
"I have no regrets for my life now. What you do now for the war is of your own course. I hold no hand over your lives, so my blessing goes with you for whatever you choose." She said as Harry nodded and he kissed her hand for the last time
"My only regret would be that I did not live long enough to see my first grandchild be born or that I would never get to hold it." She smiled
Harry and Draco now smiled in their tears as her soul lifted from her body and was carried to the heavens in a small flash of white golden light. When it was gone, Harry held Narcissa's veela frame though no life was in it now and he cried hard for the first time in ages. it was as if he felt he was responsible for this, and so Draco came and sat beside him with tears for his mother.
"Harry, do not be so hard on yourself for this. Mother was ready to see my father in the afterlife. She would not want us to be so sad just for her. Yes, it is Christmas and yes this is a sad occurrence, but do you know what?" Draco said softly as he smiled through tears
Harry looked to his mate, "What is it Draco?"
"Maybe I am sad over this or maybe less than I should be over it, but I also know mother is no longer hurting anymore. I never liked it when father left not knowing if he would return and mother always was hurt by this. Now she is at peace, her soul mended and whole again, and she no longer has to worry whether or not her mate will come back to her any more." Draco said softly
"For me, as sad as this sounds to you probably, this was the best last wish I could have given her. It is a blessing we were here to see her off and even more a miracle that we witnessed her soul ascend to a place we will one day be a part of when our time here is done."
Harry was quiet and then stood up, "Draco, you are right of course and I have been too hard on myself. I have lost much already and so it easy to forget that the loss of a physical existence isn't the end for everything of a person in our world. Narcissa will be remembered and her spirit lives on through you and me in some ways. She will no longer hurt and the best we can do is to keep on living for her and those who died for us before we were born."
"Do you wish to have you friends here when we bury her next to your father?" He asked gently
"I would like that, yes." Draco answered
Harry and Draco sat there beside Narcissa in wonder of how something so sad at such a joyful time of the year could be so inspirational to them both. Her death had brought closure in some form they barely recognized.
Harry put a stasis charm on her body so it would not start to decay as Draco made several carefully placed firecalls to his friends and started preparations for a traditional veela funeral; for her. Draco seemed to think his mother would appreciate this and Harry had no wish to deny his mate anything that made him feel more at ease over this.
Once they had arrived, they sensed the sadness in the house and looked to Draco for an answer who was in the sitting area outside of the study.
Draco looked at them and said, "My mother is gone."
Pansy and Daphne gasped in shock whilst Blaise, Theodore, Crabbe, Goyle, and Daphne's sister Astoria were strangely quiet by the stunning news.
"Harry and I arrived here and at first all seemed normal. Until Harry told her of his story and she seemed angry at him for Lucius's death. It was then he may have realized she had withdrawn further from herself than we thought she would in such a short amount of time. We had visited secretly once before to monitor the condition and she seemed better honestly, but then again, we know appearances mean nothing to witches and wizards as they can be so easily adapted or changed." Draco said
"Harry tried to the best of his abilities to bring her out of despair for me, but she spoke to us and made us realize this is not how it is supposed to be. We acknowledged this and she gave us her blessing before we held her as we watched her soul ascend to the afterlife." Draco told them as tears formed again
"My mother is no longer hurting, and for me that is important, since father always hurt her when he left and we never knew if we would see him again."
"I asked you here so we could see to seeing her off." Draco asked, "But know that until we make an announcement that not a word of this can be spoken of. I know we can trust you all as you gave Harry your word, but your parents did no such thing."
They nodded as Pansy glanced around, "Draco, you should know that none of our parents were at the battle of the platform as far we are aware yet, so there has been no news of recent disownments." Pansy said as Draco nodded, "Where is Harry?" she asked
Draco smiled slightly, "He took this slightly hard due to his past as we tried to get here to prevent it and we couldn't. He is with my mother's body, and is preparing it for burial in the elder veela ways since he feels she would like that and I agreed it would give me comfort to know my mother would have some dignity left even it won't seem like that when we bury here. We must remember though, that she and I are of a different race and culture and some of our ways are not that of yours as full humans."
Pansy and the others nodded, "Is Harry alright though?" Daphne asked concerned
Draco sighed, "I am sure in time he will be, but before we arrived here we went to his relatives home and found that death eaters had killed his uncle, so we have had a trying day already. He has lost so much already and this war is only going to get much worse. There will deaths to come and I know he will have his moments. I will be there for him though as much as he is for me."
"Was his Aunt able to identify any of them?" Blaise asked Draco now suddenly
Draco shook his head, "No, but that may be because we never asked her to as the event was still fresh and she was suffering with grief too."
"I see." Blaise said, "Has Harry mentioned anything of Riddle's aura yet?"
Draco shook his head again, "No, but that's because he knows Riddle was highly hurt during his last fight with him and will need time to heal if he wants to be active again soon and Riddle is not a fool either."
"He knows Harry will not give up so easily and that he will not bend knee to him. It angers him and so he knows healing fully is his primary goal right now. Mother mentioned something of interest in her last few moments. I want you Daphne and Astoria to research it for me and Harry, if you can as the two of you have the best chance of success given your families knack for genealogy?"
The sisters nodded; hopeful to be of some use to their new commanders.
"Mother said Tom Riddle's claim to the lineage of Antioch Peverell was a false one. This means he was either led to believe he was a part of it and in his insanity this belief of rumor he held for so long became fact to him or someone gave one of his elite's false data to feed him in hopes of making him more powerful before destroying him and taking some credit for it in some shape or form."
"I need you to find out if possible exactly how his connection is false and why they wanted Riddle to think this way?" Draco asked them
They nodded as Harry re-entered the room and they turned to him all at once.
"A moment if you would, please Draco?" Harry asked him
Draco eyed his mate, "Is something wrong, Harry?"
Harry shook his head, "Not necessarily, but you need to know this as this was your mother."
Draco walked over to him, "What is it?" he asked
Harry sighed, "Draco, did you know that your mother was under some kind of binding spell that dates back to mid-century Europe?" he asked him seriously
Draco's eyes hardened, "No. Why was she?"
"Riddle wanted your family badly in his pocket and Lucius knew this. After I defeated him during the first war, Lucius was not going to return unless forced to do so. It was inevitable that even a spirit dark lord is a formidable enemy." Harry told him
Draco's eyes began to change and turn red with yellow edges.
"What did the bastard do to my mother?" He yelled at Harry
The others looked over at the sound of the commotion and saw Draco was highly angry and Harry stood there as calm as ever before a half-transformed and angered veela. He did not look frightened at all of Draco's angered state and half-veela form that would come soon to a full form if he did not calm down.
"Draco, the dark lord placed the Body Regeneration Curse on her to keep your father in line." Harry told him softly
Draco's anger faded slightly, but his body language was anything but calm.
"He did what?" Draco whispered
"The dark lord had intended to use your mother as his third host to his sentient spirit form before he could gain a new body again for himself." Harry said, "I can and will prevent this from being done, but you have to trust me."
"I need one of your veela feathers from your wings to counter-act what he has done as this is the only are her son and as such her body...even though it is not alive; it will recognize your blood as her son." Harry asked of his mate
Draco was torn as those feathers were highly sought after on the black market of their community, but he knew Harry wasn't like this at all and he would never purposely endanger him as his mate. Yet his mind was enraged and going on about betrayal because Harry was drow and did not understand. Draco was being torn two ways.
"Draco, please listen to me." Harry asked him now desperately
Draco turned to him, but his eyes were not seeing and resumed their angry state as he began to fully transform again.
"Draco, I do not ask this of you lightly. I am well aware of how valuable these feathers are and I have no intention of giving it to anyone after I save your mother's body from being possessed by Riddle." Harry said loudly so the others could hear him
The friends who had gathered stood together, frightened, and afraid of Draco's new temperament as they all held onto each other for protection should Harry not be able to reach Draco inside of the veela that took over his mind-frame.
"Draco, if you can hear me inside there please understand I mean no harm. I just want your mom to be able to rest peacefully." Harry said, "Your friends here are scared of you and I don't want to have to restrain you today of all days. Please Draco?" Harry asked him
Draco seemed to come around, "Harry, I am sorry. I know you well enough now to know you wouldn't use my feather improperly and even more so as my own mate since that would endanger me and you do not want this. However, the veela in me just reacted and I had little time to react to it." Draco said
Harry knelt before Draco now, "We have been through a lot today Draco that has been hard on both of us. It is understandable to see why you would react this way. But if you want me to be able to save your mother, I need a feather from your wings. I will not force you to give it to me, but if you don't, your mother's body could become possessed at some point by Riddle."
Draco bowed his head and his body shook with anger at the thought of the man who murdered his father and caused his family so much grief would be as low and despicable as to use his mother in such a way."
Draco's wings grew as his veela form took shape. He knelt before his mate in a sign of understanding and submission that he would give him what he needed to protect not only them from harm but also his mother from being used as well though she was no longer alive. Harry smiled then and he carefully pulled a black and red feather from the right wing as Harry's magical energy covered the room and cleansed it of the tense energy there.
Draco's form then retreated as Harry walked back into the study. Draco stood and looked to his friends who had no idea what to think or say to this.
Draco bowed his head in shame, "I apologize if I have frightened all of you."
Blaise and Theo came forward and put their arms around his shoulders with smirks.
"It's not exactly that you frightened us per se Draco although we might have been a little at one point, but more the fact we are shocked at your behavior than anything else." Theo said
"Yeah, I mean, all this time we knew this person who was the ice prince and never let anyone tell him what to do." Blaise said
"Then we turn our backs for a few months whilst you are off having secret meetings and story dates, and the next time we turn around; you are mated to Harry Potter of all people and on top of that we find out you're the bottom. How odd?" Pansy smirked at Draco along with the rest
Draco was half-tempted to snap at them, but was stopped when Harry suddenly reappeared before them all in a flash of light.
"I hope you all have no intention of spreading rumors around as that would be disastrous." Harry smirked at them whilst Draco was trying not to snap at Harry for practically telling them they were right even if they knew was the submissive partner here. That did not mean he did not voice his opinions either. This was all before he turned to Draco softly.
"Your mother is fine now and her body as well as her spirit can be at ease." He said to him
Draco nodded as he was released and his body relaxed. They all went into the study and gave a prayer for her spirit and then Harry carried Narcissa gently outside to the Malfoy family cemetery despite the cold weather today.
When they made it outside, the snow had lightened and was falling softly now and some sunlight had pierced the clouds as well. It was as if Narcissa's soul was saying thank you and showing it the only way she knew how to now.
Harry handed Narcissa's body to Draco as he then uncovered the snow from the ground and magically made a deep hole in the softened earth. Narcissa was then stripped of all her earthly garments and jewelry as by old veela tradition and was bare as the day she had been born.
There was no casket or box to contain her body as that would violate the tradition, so she was laid softly on the earth and she was bare of any earthly possessions she owned. Harry released the stasis charm on her form as the ground was replaced over her body. He did not make a headstone for her either as he knew that in time a tree would grow there from the last of her magical energies being released as her body was absorbed into the earth. The group cried at the sadness of her loss but also smiled in knowing that her death had meaning.
It meant that they now knew war was closer than ever to those they held close to them all and that they were strong if they stayed together. They would survive, no matter how terrible the chaos seemed and how many more people they would bury that they knew. Narcissa gave them hope in her last moments and this hope drove them to see her last wish of Harry to come true.
After all final goodbyes were given, Draco's friends left with concerned hugs for their welfare and promises not to say anything. Harry and Draco went back inside Malfoy Manor to try and decide whether to stay or not due to Draco's memories there. Harry felt for the first time in many months that despite this sad event that maybe things were starting to turn in their favor and perhaps this was needed in order for them to realize it.