Chapter 9

Draco had been dragging his fifth trunk through the house when suddenly he smacked the back of his head against a solid wall. He had been confident he was going the right way up until that point but the sudden shock made him question his ability to follow directions. He dropped the trunk to the ground and began turning around to see where he went wrong only to see an empty corridor behind him.

Had his mother forgotten he was coming? Had Hermione freaked out seeing him after she woke up and demanded her privacy? That one was particularly likely. Or maybe the lowering of the ward had a timer that his mother hadn't realised had passed? No, that wasn't very likely, his mother had never forgotten a single thing, not even a throw away comment when he was 6 about thinking purple dragons would be cooler than the red and green and brown ones. He was inundated with purple dragons, mostly stuffed, for several years after that. He didn't really mind why the wards had gone back up, just that nobody informed him of such.

It was then that his mother came around the corner and strode eerily calmly toward him. It was very obvious that she was putting on a show for any bypassers. She brandished her want and pulled the trunk onto the other side of the wards. 'Please wait for us in the sun room. There's been a development.'

Draco had a multitude of questions. What had they been doing? What changed? Why did she lock him out? None of the questions came out however as he stammered for a moment as she swiftly drifted away, the trunk floating along behind her.

He made his way to the sun room, pacing back and forth in front of the windows, glancing between the garden outside and the door, waiting rather impatiently for Hermione and his mother to arrive. He felt a little silly, he hadn't been this impatient for years. It had been hard taught out of him and yet here, right now, he felt like he was 6 waiting for the night to be over so his birthday would come. The house elves came several times, offering tea and cakes and pastries to calm their master, offering for a gramophone to be brought in so he could be entertained, but he turned them all away, his focus on the door.

After what felt like hours, the door finally opened and his mother ushered Hermione into the room, an arm around the girl's shoulders. She was shaking profusely and looked like she wasn't walking under her own power. The blank stare in her eyes was all he needed to know that whatever development had come, it wasn't good. She was poured a cup of tea though didn't notice when it was placed in her hands.

His mother took him to the side of the room, leaving Hermione half reclined on a chaise lounge, still in her nightgown, with a blanket draped over her feet. A sinking feeling began to hit his stomach.

'She definitely triggered the Stuart clause.' Narcissa spoke immediately, her words low and quick. 'We had an unwanted visitor who luckily was not here under any order from your father's house guest. He's been dealt with but all you need to know is that a pest problem has been rectified thanks to Hermione's family magic. She is going to be Queen, so long as she pulls out of whatever happened after she called on it.'

Draco took another glance at her, still unmoving in her chair. 'Do you think you can pull her out of it?'

'So long as this is just her morals having an argument, yes, but if this is an unknown side effect of her magic then I'm afraid that there's not much I'll be able to do.' She shook her head.

'Maybe you won't be able to do much but I possibly could in that circumstance.' Draco shrugged.

Narcissa padded her way across the room and took a seat just in front of Hermione's knees, placing a hand on hers. 'I'm going to try to help you my dear, if I can.' She took a firm grip of her hand and closed her eyes whispering one quick word.

Legillimens.

She was immediately thrust into Hermione's mind and found the memory she was lingering on. It was playing over and over in her head, the way Peter Pettigrew had shuddered and writhed in his restraints as she drained him of his magic. His pleas and screams piercing in her ears, never ending in their torment.

'Hermione.' She whispered within her mind.

Hermione's mind flashed with the look of horror Narcissa had worn just after Hermione was done.

'Come back to reality with me, my dear.' She soothed, taking her free hand and stroking Hermione's hair. 'No matter what you saw in that room, we need you with us.'

A small whimper echoed in her mind, though Hermione's physical body was frozen. 'I did something terrible.'

'Not terrible, and certainly not unforgivable.' Narcissa whispered. 'You took away a murderer's power to ever do it again.'

'That doesn't make it right.' She whispered back.

'No.' Narcissa frowned. 'It doesn't. But it does make it just.'

Hermione's lip began to tremble, shuddering along with the soft cries in her mind.

'You need to cry Hermione. Properly cry.' Narcissa ran her thumb across Hermione's cheek, wiping away the first of many tears that began to stream down Hermione's face. She ended the spell and held her, quickly moving the cup of tea out of her hands.

She cried, and sobbed, and screamed, and by the time she began to calm, though the distress was not over, she was able to blink through her tear soaked eyelashes to see Draco offer her a small, sad smile.

'I don't think I can do that again.' She whispered, clutching to Narcissa.

'You may never have to.' Narcissa spoke. 'But if you do, make sure you cry in a nice private room for a long time.'

'Am I a monster?' she asked, leaning back to see Narcissa's face. 'Should people be scared of me?'

'You are not a monster and people should not fear you.' Narcissa reassured her. 'They should only fear you as much as a sensible husband fears his wife's wrath.'

Hermione laughed a little and wiped off her cheeks, taking back the teacup floating gently in the air next to them. 'As much as I would like to now forget what just happened, there is the unfortunate business of a magicless man tied to a chair in my room.'

'We'll have to deal with him quickly.' Narcissa frowned. 'When the Dark Lord calls he'll expect a response, and I suspect Peter won't be able to give one.'

'Peter?' Draco asked. 'There's no one in our house called Peter.'

'I assure you there is.' Hermione smiled. 'He has done a lot of terrible things that we won't be getting into right at this moment. All you need to know is that he's a rat and a vile one at that.'

'I suppose we have a few options.' Narcissa thought out loud. 'We could dump him in the muggle world and let him muddle his way through that, which I doubt he would be successful at. I suppose we could quietly turn him over to the authorities somehow, he does have a dark mark on his arm and a lot of information I'm sure he'd cough up in a heartbeat. Or we could make a spectacle out of him. The ball tomorrow night at the ministry would be the perfect place to not only expose him but also introduce you as the missing monarch they're all dying to meet.'

'I think they'd be dying to put me in a cell.' Hermione muttered, sipping her tea.

'Speak up dear.' Narcissa raised one of her eyebrows, challenging Hermione on her somewhat rude comment.

'He did mention that he's been visiting the Weasley's home semi-regularly, probably to bring back information about them to your house guest, but they haven't been there for some time now so his plan has never borne fruit.' Hermione offered, glad when Narcissa's glare dropped.

'I suppose we could have him caught at their home, it wouldn't be too difficult to accomplish.' Draco said. 'It would definitely cause a scene during the ball and could provide the perfect spectacle we're looking for.'

'No. I don't want to draw any attention to myself yet.' Hermione shook her head. 'The most important part of having Pettigrew picked up by the authorities is that your cousin's name would finally be cleared.'

'I suppose I hadn't yet considered that particular benefit to our chance catching of him yet.' Narcissa agreed.

Draco seemed perplexed for a moment. 'Mother, both of your cousins were Death Eaters, dedicated ones at that.'

'No, actually they weren't.' Narcissa turned to face her son, an apologetic frown on her face. 'I will concede that one of them was a Death Eater though only because his mother was a lunatic who gave him no other choice. Sirius Black on the other hand, never once conspired with the Dark Lord. Had he truly turned in the Potters like the rest of the world believes then we would have heard about it. It was Peter Pettigrew who in fact betrayed them and while the majority of the Dark Lord's servants knew that, anyone who shared this information would immediately lose their Imperius defence and find themselves in Azkaban for the trouble.'

'I suppose it wouldn't weigh on their consciences, no matter who they worshipped in the past.' Draco shrugged.

'They don't worship him Draco, none of them are that stupid.' She shook her head. ' They do however lust for power in whatever form they can manage to get it, and with the Dark Lord they can attain that power far easier and without having to abandon blood purity.'

'I'm going to have to adhere to that aren't I?' Hermione's shoulders sagged as she gazed down into her teacup. 'Almost five years of fighting against it and I won't have a choice.'

'You might not have to marry inside the sacred 28.' Draco offered. 'Simply someone with ties to an old Wizard's Council family should be more than suitable.'

'But I might not even be a pureblood, it wouldn't matter if my husband was because it's very likely I'm a half blood.' Hermione argued. 'And then with the sheer numbers of purist families on the Wizengamot I'd probably have to marry someone more inclined to your house guest.'

'Politics is an interesting thing Hermione.' Narcissa smiled softly. 'None of my husbands political allies could argue against you marrying someone from a Grey family, potentially even someone on the light side in high standing. But we don't need to worry about marriage yet, likely not for a few years. What we do need to worry about is Peter Pettigrew, and how exactly we're going to turn him in.'

'We should also think about how Dumbledore is going to manipulate Hermione's new status.' Draco added.

'He wouldn't manipulate anything, Draco.' Hermione argued. 'He's a good man fighting for a good cause.'

'Yes yes, he's a great wizard and all that.' Draco rolled his eyes. 'But something you don't know is that once upon a time, Dumbledore and his little friend Grindelwald used to plot to do the exact same thing as the megalomaniac my father has decided is God.'

'Your father doesn't treat him as a God.' Narcissa interrupted.

'He's been manipulating Potter from the beginning. He practically hangs off of the man's every word.' Draco threw his arms up in frustration. 'He could tell Potter to go kill himself and he would, thinking old Mr Dumbledore is the saviour of mankind who would never lead him astray.'

'One problem at a time please, son.' Narcissa admonished, narrowing her eyebrows at him. 'Pettigrew first, then the Headmaster.'

'He's being turned in to the authorities, but only with a guarantee that they won't throw Sirius back in prison the moment he comes out to testify against him.' Hermione decided. 'That man has been called a murderer and traitor for fourteen years, he deserves justice.'

'But the circumstances in which he is found are important.' Narcissa added. 'There needs to be a direct tie between his being found and your involvement.'

'I think we need to go to Hogwarts.' Hermione frowned. 'Despite your misgivings about the man, we're going to need his help. Who better to turn over Peter Pettigrew than him. Who better to vouch for my existence while not giving up my identity?'

'If you're that bothered about having one of your saints turn him in, why not McGonagall?' Draco rolled his eyes.

'That is an excellent idea Draco.' Narcissa grinned.

'It was a joke.' He protested.

'She's seen as more impartial than the headmaster though still respected within the community.' Narcissa stood quickly and banished their cups of tea. 'I'm telling my husband that we're going out and then we're off to the castle. In secret mind you.'

'I'll go get the polyjuice.' Hermione sighed, also standing.

'We should go to the three broomsticks, Mother.' Draco called after her. 'We can contact the professor from there.'

No response came as Narcissa enthusiastically swept from the room, a spring in her step. It was a strange sight.