Draco stepped off the train, his eyes darting warily before landing on his mother. She looked less haggard than she had the last time he'd seen her, which while welcome, was rather startling. "Mother," he mumbled, kissing her cheeks.
"We have a lot to talk about," she whispered into his ear. "But it will have to wait until we get home."
Confused, scared if he was honest, he apparated home with his mother, landing in the hallway of his ancestral home, his eyes darting around nervously.
"He's not here," Narcissa soothed, reaching for him as her heart broke as the very real consequences of their decisions came back to haunt her in the shape of her son's clear fear inside his own home. "It's just family."
"Auntie Cissa!" came a childish squeal, interrupting whatever Draco had been about to say as a tiny blur of curls barreled into her, "Uncle Bast's a dragon!"
Draco's eyebrows rose sharply, climbing higher when Rabastan Lestrange ran around the corner roaring, making the child squeal in delight. With an indulgent smile, Narcissa bent to 'rescue' her, setting the child on her hip.
"I think I've gone mad," Draco mumbled, his eyes wide with shock.
"No," Narcissa argued. "Or at least not yet. Draco, meet Aquila. Aquila, meet your cousin Draco."
"Hi!" she whispered, peering at him shyly from her perch on Narcissas hip.
"Hi," he repeated weakly, his eyes meeting his mother's incredulously, "I ah…who…ah..what…"
"Your Aunt Bella adopted." Narcissa offered blandly making Rabastan snort.
"Come along little star, lets let your Auntie Cissa get Draco settled in."
"But Uncle Bast…."
"I'm sure Daddy added to the library." he coaxed smirking when her eyes lit up and she reached for him.
"Mother. What the fuck?" Draco demanded the moment they were out of sight, his usual control obliterated.
"Your Aunt Bella adopted," Narcissa repeated, cuffing the back of his head, "And that does not mean we can forget our manners."
"Apologies Mother," he responded automatically, his face still showing his complete shock.
She nodded sharply, "Come with me, I'll explain."
He followed her through to her sunroom watching as she sat primly on her favourite chair facing him. "Mother." he prompted when it became clear she wasn't starting the conversation.
Narcissa sighed, "Were you aware of an accident at school Draco?"
"What?" he demanded.
"Accident at school. Someone missing?"
He scoffed incredulously. "Mother, the Dark Lord is back and people are disappearing daily." he frowned suddenly, "Less so the last month."
"Yes well." Narcissa sighed, "He's not been here and Bella has been…distracted."
"By a toddler."
"She's a surprisingly good mother if you ignore her letting Aquila use Greyback for her first round of target practice.
"She what?" he demanded.
"Oh she could only reach his knees." Narcissa dismissed with an airy wave of his hand making him choke. "And we obvlivated him afterwards. However, answer my question. Any strange disappearances?"
He eyed her thoughtfully, "Granger's missing," he replied slowly.
"Yes she is." Narcisaa agreed seeing the dawning realisation on his face.
"Mother what the fuck!" he hissed.
"Do not make me scourgify your mouth Draco Lucius!" she growled. "Aquila appeared in your aunt's room, in the body she currently inhabits. I had wondered if you had any insight but apparently not. Regardless, your Aunt and Uncle have adopted her and therefore whoever she was she is not now. She is…surprisingly delightful."
Draco froze as he attempted to assimilate that information before deciding that it was going to take more time than he currently had and changing tact."He'll be furious. There's no way he's going to stand for Aunt Bella being distracted by a toddler of all things! For Merlin's sake Mother, he'll murder her outright!"
"He will do no such thing!" Narcissa hissed, her magic flaring. "He's about to be dealt with once and for all. We have a plan. We couldn't make it work without your Aunt on board or I'd have enacted it earlier." she attempted a wobbly smile, "And for that my boy, I am truly sorry. I would never…" she blew out a harsh breath. "It should never have happened, you should never have been put in the position you have been and I imagine I shall spend the rest of my life seeking your forgiveness for it. Regardless, your Aunt Bella is now on board. She is…Aquila has managed to bring her back to us. Bella rather than Madam Lestrange. I do not know how she did it, but we must be grateful. Bella intends to take over," Narcissa rolled her eyes, scoffing, "Of course she does, but a different message than before."
"How?" Draco checked, looking unsure as he reached to squeeze his mother's hand in an attempt to comfort her.
"Well. We intend to offer proof of Miss Granger's being alive. And then we intend to offer up both the Dark Lord and Greyback." Narcissa's smile turned dangerous. "Mulciber too probably, Dolohov will also have to go, I understand he cursed Aquila at the Ministry. I believe your Aunt intends to let Keela play with him for a little bit and then we'll remove him.
"Play with him…Mother she's a toddler!"
"Which means we'll silence him as we did with the wolf," she shrugged, "But it is never too young to learn to aim."
"You're all insane." Draco breathed, torn between fearful hope and just plain fear.
"Yes darling, we're Blacks, do keep up. Now, I imagine He'll be here at some point. He'll summon you, and you will come and get either me or your aunt, am I clear? We are in the process of dealing with his followers, between us we know them all. "
"Mother if he finds out…"
"Your aunt will destroy him. He had failsafes that we now know about and have…removed. It's been a vexingly busy month in all honesty. Although on that note, if you could have a look over this list, let me know if we've forgotten anything."
He took it, looking dazedly down at the parchment, his eyes skimming the list. "You forgot Umbridge."
How careless," Narcissa frowned, taking the parchment back in order to write it down.
"Ahd if you're avenging Granger I'd suggest Skeeter."
"Oh?"
"She wrote nonsense in fourth year, got her sent to the hospital wing after hate mail."
"Very well." she agreed.
"Mother..do you truly think the Order is going to accept this?"
"We will make them Draco," Narcissa retorted with a surety that had him shutting his mouth with an audible clack. "Now. Your godfather should be here early next week, perhaps he'll have some insight into what happened to Miss Granger."
Draco stared at her, stunned into silence, wondering if this was the family madness finally hitting.