Narcissa's POV
I had April keep dinner light I was too excited to eat anything beyond a few spoonfuls of soup. Afterwards, I sat thinking of her and the letter with the name and time of our date lying in my lap. I received her letter later that evening on the day of our lunch and had held onto it since.
In less than twenty-four hours I would be in her presence again. I kept it tucked away in my dress pocket and when the tea turned cold I would place it in the pocket of my nightgown and retire to bed. The neatly scrawled invitation gave me a sense of closeness, but mainly I kept it on my person in fear Lucius would return home and find it.
I quickly scan the mail. The other arrivals had largely been forgotten. What Barnaby brought earlier was of no consequence. Only more nonsense. Possibly more threats. The gossip columns and rags had nothing new so I passed them over. So, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Or at least I thought until I opened a small letter.
Now, I had confirmation. Another death threat.
This one was more ominous than previous letters. The words Mudblood Loving Whore was the greeting. At least they are getting more creative. There are only so many times you can be called a Traitorous Bitch before the phrase stops possessing any real meaning. The words become groupings of letters. I don't bother to read the rest and toss the threat aside. I'll burn it later.
After being threatened with death for two years you get a bit careless. I must admit I did. I was careless. My naivety is to blame. I assumed no one would dare act on them. They were merely the newly disenfranchised blowing off a little steam.
When loud screeching pierced the quiet stillness of the manor it became obvious someone was serious. Someone decided to act on the promise to rid the world of blood traitorous filth such as myself.
I immediately pulled my wand and headed for the cellar. The house elves, the one that remained, was on my heels. Why I didn't apparate I am not sure. I regretted that decision when a streak of green light whizzed past my right ear. My heart skipped a beat as if it was as startled as I.
Little April is rooted to her spot.
Her little aged body shook as she threw curses at the person clothed in long thick black robes. There's a familiar metallic sheen obscuring this intruder's face. A death eater; but this mask lacked the intricacies of the original. A copy cat. Not a former follower. Somehow I am relieved which leads me to believe the intruder wasn't trained by the Dark Lord.
I fire a curse. They barely dodge the stunner. I definitely know they are not part of the old brigade. I would've been dead by now.
I fire off more curses in rapid succession. They barely deflect them. Ah, they aren't a seasoned duelist either, and I increase the pace whispering another spell before the first has properly left the tip of my wand. I start closing the distance. I saw Bella do this once and imitated her movements even the positioning of my free hand.
April seemed to understand as her movements increased. She began throwing curses faster than any elf I've seen especially an elf of her considerable age. The tag team approach seemed to do the trick as they dove into the nearby ballroom. I hear the familiar sound of disapparation.
Quickly, I tap my wand against the third black marble square two feet to the right of the staircase revealing the hidden door to the cellar. Within seconds I'm in nestled in the cellar's cool air. April appears beside me. She disappeared at the end of the fight.
"I gotz the aurorz they be here shortly," she bows low.
I whisper a quick 'thank you'. I wonder how the aurors will get in before it dawns on me the intruder got this far. Too far. He was just outside the sun room. An intruder was twenty feet from where I was causally having my evening tea. They only way that was possible is the outer wards were already down.
Lucius maintained them using ancestral magic developed by the Malfoy matriarchs. The secondary wards are all my own. Something I developed to alert me to unwanted visitors that wanted to enter my bedchamber. Dolohov and McNair come to mind and I cringe.
There are faint shouts and I feel a tug of a reveal spell. April is in front as we move to the door. She exits first. As a precaution, I remain below my wand drawn. I'm too shaken to let my guard down.
"Mizztrez is in here Aurorz Granger."
My heart leaps at the name and I emerge blinking back tears as my eyes land on her. There are several others and they scatter about their wands high in the air searching. They fade into the background.
I only see her.
Hermione's POV
I had nearly dozed off.
The image of Ron sulking in the corner was growing hazy in my peripheral as my lids became uncomfortably heavy. Normally, I'm alert. The life of the office when we work a night shift but an excursion into Knockturn Alley to visit Winston's finest ladies left me exhausted.
Ron's mood was the result of me turning down his fifth invitation to dinner. I wasn't interested. Definitely not in him. Maybe before. Before I realized that I preferred the company of beautiful women, older women, to that of the young men that only after the war had noticed me. Many of them are the same ones that passed me over during my Hogwarts years.
The door flies open revealing a small elf. Ron stood walking over to the counter.
"Petitions office is on the third floor, and they are closed." Ron stretches clearly agitated.
The elf hisses before straightening itself to speak.
"Mizztriz Malfoy iz n trouble. She'z in trouble, aurorz come quickly!" The elf is hysterical.
I hop to my feet at the mention of the name. Ron probes for more but I have my cloak in hand and disapparate with Ron shouting in the background for me to wait.
I'm there and somehow I'm in the house, where are the wards? The question forgotten as I remember my training and begin searching. The tell tell signs of apparation is bouncing off the walls in rapid succession. From the expressions and gasps they are as bewildered as I am not to have arrived at the gate.
We move as a unit to the back of the first floor near the stairs when the floor moves and the elf emerges Narcissa not too far behind. A wave of something I have only felt once before hits me. I wasn't aware that I had been so worried for her safety.
Narcissa POV:
Relief. That is the only thought that comes to mind. I'm relieved.
That is the only way I can describe this euphoric feeling. I have an urge to run into her arms but stop short when I see a young man approaching. He sports a familiar sneer; just my luck it's none other than Ronald Weasley. An apology dies on my tongue as he looks me over his expression uglier than before. My defenses are up and I sport an equally nasty sneer of my own.
It's childish.
I know but I won't be looked down upon in my own home especially by him. I've heard rumors and thanks to his affiliation with Mr. Potter he has managed to remain in the clear. Mr. Weasley isn't so squeaky clean after all.
Her voice cuts threw the air and I watch in awe as the men fall silent hanging onto her every word. She has given them orders to search the grounds and in flashes they go to do her bidding. Her gaze is now on me but I am afraid to return it. Mr. Weasley hasn't moved as he looks between Hermione and me.
"She may have helped at the end of the war but she's still dangerous. No matter what Harry says; you shouldn't be alone with her." His lip upturns in disgust and I roll my eyes. This is getting old.
I only want to be alone with her.
"Ron, clear the cellar."
"'Moine, she just came from down there I doubt if the alleged," he makes sure to draw out the word, "intruder is still here. They are long gone by now." His gaze is accusatory and I don't like the implications.
"Ron, textbook 101, secure the perimeter besides I doubt if Mrs. Malfoy would destroy her beautiful home just to have her evening disturbed by aurors." She finally turns to him motioning toward the floor.
"Go."
More huffing but he's moving. I step aside glad to be rid of him. Now, I can focus on her.
Hermione's POV
Embarrassing.
Ron's attitude as of late has been unbearable, and I hope that she is not too offended. I hope this doesn't make her look at me differently. Not sure why I care but I do.
Minutes pass with us staring. My team faded into the background the moment I saw her. From the shambles I am in standing in I am thankful she is alive.
I am about to speak when William approaches. The manor is clear.
"Mrs. Malfoy we have the all clear. The perimeter is secure but we would like to ask you some questions at the ministry. Would that be alright?"
Her expression is blank but she quickly nods. I offer a small smile but say nothing. I am doing my best to keep things professional. Slowly, I reach for her hand. I'm not sure why it isn't exactly necessary. I'm sure there is a floo in this house. But I want the contact and by the way she reaches for me she does too.
"Hold on."
Narcissa's POV
I'm at the auror's office. I stroke my palm where our hands met. They are starting to shake and for the first time tonight I realize I'm not properly dressed.
Hermione must have noticed my distress as I feel a heavy blanket draped over my shoulders. It's in Gryffindor colors and I can only assume its hers. I breath deep catching a whiff of her scent. It's intoxicating and on their own my eyes fall shut.
Hermione POV:
I'm not sure why I used my old house throw to cover her. We have plenty of daft rough, grey blankets I could have used. We even have an old coat tucked away in the closet but the old daft blankets and the worn coat felt out of place. Beneath coming into contact with her skin.
Nothing I could have grabbed felt worthy to be draped over her pale, flawless flesh so I figured I would use the next best thing. Still, I find it lacking.
I sit down opposite her careful to make as little noise as possible but the quietest chair we have chooses to squeak before I can settle onto it. The sound causes her eyes to flutter open. I look away refusing to get lost in those deep stormy blues. I have some questions many are standard but several are out of curiosity.
I clear my throat, here goes.
"Mrs. Malfoy, it was noted your husband and son weren't home when we arrived, were they home during the attack?"
Narcissa POV:
I take a deep breath. Here we go.
"Ms. Granger," I pause a carefully rehearsed lie on my lips. Old habits die hard but I will kill at least one of them tonight.
"No, Lucius nor Draco were home." Although it is the truth I can't help but feel a great betrayal has been committed.
She nods looking down at her notepad. I notice she hasn't written anything.
Hermione opens her mouth to speak but Mr. Weasley cuts in pulling up a chair. I cringe at the scraping of the metal against the floor. He has always had the worst timeing.
It's obvious he still has a bone to pick with me.
"So, Mrs. Malfoy where is your husband? He should be home. He's a flagged man."
"Lucius was cleared of all charges."
He nods looking around clearly that fact still bothers him. I resist the urge to rub it in.
"True, what do you know of dark activity going on let's say in Romania, Turkey and a few other places toward the east?"
I hesitate. I don't want to confirm my fears; I know where this is going.
"I have no knowledge of dark activity here nor abroad Mr. Weasley. Aside from the small bit the Daily Prophet sees fit to publish."
His lips downturn; he's grasping and doing a poor job of it.
"Ron, I can handle this. I will finish questioning Mrs. Malfoy." Hermione cuts in. This is the first time I've seen her outright annoyed.
He ignores her.
"You sure? Lucy didn't mention anything one night after a cold fuck? I mean not with you of course. We all know how Lucy likes the ladies."
"Enough!" Hermione turns on him. "You are out of line! Leave!"
Even I jump at her raised voice. I didn't think the young woman had it in her. He smirks rising slowly his dark empty gaze is lingering on me.
I return it matching his intensity.
"I'll be watching you, and your family. Two flagged men unaccounted for. Missing. That might raise some suspicions. I have just cause now." He turns dragging the chair back to an adjacent desk.
He snaps his fingers as if he's forgotten something.
"Oh yeah, we secured the premises, you know by the book and whatnot," his sarcasm isn't lost on me nor Hermione as her gaze darkens, "why didn't you mention the death threats Mrs. Malfoy? We have a whole department now dedicated to the protection of defectors. Such as yourself."
She turns to me her expression soft and concerned, "There have been threats against your life?"
I don't have time to address her question as he continues. I'm irritated he brought them up.
He chuckles his hands going up in mock surrender, "my bad 'Moine maybe you were getting to that in your line of questioning. You know by the book and all."
He turns on his heel and leaves us. I hold my breath as she takes several deep ones of her own; she's trying to calm down.