Relationships, Reunions, and Unexpected Guests
Malfoy Manor, July 20, 1998
“I think it’s a great idea, Narcissa,” Astoria said to the Malfoy matriarch about turning the old Death Eater rooms into memorials for all those killed at the Manor.
“As long as I get to fully destroy your dining table…” Tracey added with a tearful scowl.
“Of course my child,” Narcissa said, giving Tracey a much-needed hug. “I am sorry that I could not prevent such a tragedy, and that Albus had told Severus not to intervene, and that he had obeyed such an order. I wish it hadn’t been so.”
“You wanted to protect Draco. And we can’t hold ourselves responsible for the actions of psychopaths. Hermione told me that.”
“Hey, ladies!” Daphne shouted, skipping out of the Manor. “Guess what?”
“What?” her sister asked in a dry tone.
“The Burrow, the place where all those gingers live. It’s been rebuilt, I mean, apparently, there’s some decoration and charm work to be done, but the house is up.”
“Which means?”
“Oh right! We have help coming this evening!” Daphne burst out with a laugh, “Including, I kid you not, Viktor Krum!”
“Krum, leaving the professional Quidditch leagues for a summer, coming to help clean up at Malfoy Manor? That’s so cool!” Astoria geeked.
“And of course, an old friend, right?” said a Slytherin outside of the front gates.
“Sophie! Is that you?” Tracey called out to her best friend.
“Yeah! This Ravenclaw, named Anthony, came to the States to get me and Megan from the last few weeks of our seventh year!” She shouted pointing to the former Hufflepuff, whose parents had also sent her away after Umbridge’s reign of terror.
“I’m Megan Jones, not sure if you lot remember me. Anthony went to all of the Wizarding Schools to come get all the former students in our year that transferred out of Hogwarts. Boy, from what I’ve heard from the kids at Hogwarts, a lot has happened since our departure.”
“Oh, wait until the end of the month! There’s going to be a party here! You’ll meet the teen heroes of our world. The Golden Trio!”
“Yes, we hate Rita Skeeter, and the Quibbler gets exclusive coverage of this thing right?”
“Anything to bite the Beetle in the butt!”
“I'm glad the war is over. Ladies no longer have to follow the rigorous rules of society. And if your parents ask, I never said that,” Narcissa said sporting a rare, truly Malfoy, smirk.
The girls laughed.
“Vava!” yelled the three-month-old baby floating out of the Estate’s gardens.
“Andromeda!” Narcissa shouted, “You can not levi-corpus a baby!”
“I’m doing him no harm. It’s this or silencio. And that would just be rude. Girls, I could use some help with Teddy’s play-pen. And I suppose this baby as well.” Andromeda said with a gruff, laugh, and a smile.
Tracey grabbed the play mat and cleared an area to put the baby down, Astoria put the pen up and did a small spell of baby-mobile charms, and Daphne did the counter-spell for Levi-corpus and grabbed baby Teddy out of the air. Andromeda sat down at the conjured tea table and lawn chairs, under an umbrella, on one of Wiltshire’s warmer days.
“I’m quite surprised that it’s only been 25 years since there was a baby in my home, and I seem to have forgotten how they work.”
“I’m always here for you Andy, and I’ve had my fair share of troubles with Draco. Let’s hope Teddy has an aversion to Quidditch. Draco got two of his baby teeth knocked out when he tried flying on his first broom for the first time. At the time, St. Mungo's couldn’t replace them. We had to wait two months for his new ones to grow in. Oh no. Girls, feel free to tell that to the rest of my son’s friends, but don’t reveal when I told you. I won’t hear the end of it.”
“Any more stories that Draco would hate for us to hear?”
“Plenty, and I’ll share them all, in time.”
“I thought his hair was blond, and now it’s black. Is it just me or…?”
“He seems to have inherited Nymphadora’s metamorphosis ability. I have received many an owl from Hogwarts complaining that my daughter was impersonating Snape to take points from all the houses. And have conversations as Dumbledore.”
“I may not have known your daughter outside of her childhood, but her mother and son are wonderful people. And I’m quite sure she’s raising hell in heaven.”
“Thank you, Cissa,” Andromeda said, holding her sister’s hand.
A series of pops startled them out of their sorrows.
“Minister Shacklebolt?” Narcissa asked one of the men who had just apparated outside of their gates.
“Mrs. Malfoy. I am so very sorry about this surprise inconvenience. I was only just informed an hour ago by the DMLE that there was to be a search of the Manor today. They mentioned that it was a necessary ‘surprise’ to be sure you were not harboring dark artifacts. I asked them to refrain from doing so, and since they wouldn’t, I insisted on coming. I will happily hold them off or give you the resources for a formal complaint.”
“My name is Narcissa, please call me that. And I understand completely. I am, for the most part, able to open the restricted areas in the Manor, but some would require Malfoy blood. Meaning that only my son would be able to open certain vaults in the Dungeons, Library, and Basement. I’m also quite sure that there would be other Dark Artifacts in our other properties across the globe. Eventually, I would love it if a few Aurors would accompany my son and me to them, in order to get rid of all that horrid magic.”
“Of course, Narcissa, it would be a great service to the Ministry.”
“I’m glad although I would request it to be when my son is not at school. I don’t want him in more trouble.”
“Kingsley, you look so different as Minister. All official.”
“Andromeda, you look well. And is that Teddy? He’s growing so quickly. And he looks just like both of his parents.”
“I’ve been informed of your actions during the war. I happen to remember a short conversation between my husband and a few others, mentioning the Muggle Prime Minister. I’m quite glad you managed to protect the man. And I would be very happy if you would relieve me of, well, whatever has been kept in the hands of the Black's and Malfoy's.”
“What do you mean? The Blacks?”
“As you know, there were only five children in my generation, Andy, Trixie, Regs, Siri, and me. Siri and Andy were both burned off the family tree. When Regs was killed, all of his side of the Black's heirlooms were split between Trixie and me. Now that Bella is dead, I have received all of the remaining possessions of the Blacks. And since her husband is in Azkaban and her brother-in-law is presumed dead, the Lestrange homes and vaults, as well as everything in them, belong to me. I would hope you would go through them at some point.”
“You're telling me, that you hold all the fortune’s of three of the ‘Sacred 28’ families?” Daphne asked.
“Well, yes, I suppose so.”
“Of course!” Astoria groaned. “The one downside of ditching my arranged marriage!”
“What do you mean dear?”
“Oh, Father and Mr. Malfoy reached an agreement. I’m technically supposed to marry Draco, but no offense to you, it’s not happening!”
“I would hope not. Otherwise, it would be quite loveless!” Daphne snorted.
“What does that mean?”
“Salazar, Pansy is the only smart one!”
“What does that mean?”
“You don’t know who he was, and maybe still is, in love with?”
“No…Who?”
“Oh, that’s a Draco problem.”
“Narcissa? Do you know?” Astoria begged.
“I have suspicions.”
“Great! Tracey?”
“I never paid attention, neither did Millie, or Sophie…”
“Theo and Blaise know, but no one else.”
“Yeah…”
“Sisters!” Astoria shouted, “Come on Minister, let's find all the bloody death ray’s that you need.”