Broken Mirror

xoXOXox

Harry paused as he stepped through the portrait into their shared common room. Zabini and Nott were arguing over something in a language he didn’t know but guessed was Italian. Ron was talking quietly with Pansy but had also stopped as he took in the occupants in the room. Out of habit, Harry and Ron both stepped away from Malfoy and Parkinson to set themselves on either side and slightly in front of Hermione. 

“Mother!”

Malfoy pushed through the rest, going over to throw his arms around the willowy woman and hug her close. All conversation stopped as the Slytherins all looked up and each wore their own version of a welcoming smile. Zabini and Nott stepped forward, taking her hand to give it a gentle kiss. Parkinson shifted nervously on her feet before Narcissa Malfoy stepped forward and pulled the frail girl into her arms.

“Pans, love, how are you?”

Parkinson relaxed into the hug, trembling hands wrapping around the older woman to return it.

“I’m surviving, Cissa.”

The older witch smiled sadly, petting over the girl’s straight raven locks.

“Sometimes, some days, that is all we can do.”

Headmaster Snape stepped forward, nodding to him as he set a gentle hand on Mrs. Malfoy’s shoulder.

“I apologize for not giving you a warning. Narcissa came at Draco’s insistence, and I didn’t want to force her to wait in my office or be seen in the hallways. There have been enough issues today as it is.”

For her part, Mrs. Malfoy nodded in understanding, giving Harry a soft smile as her eyes took the three of them in before stopping on Hermione. He felt Ron shift at the same time he did, closing ranks around their best friend.

“Oh, my. Miss Granger… I am so sorry. When Draco explained what was going on, I did not realize how severe it had gotten. You must be in extreme pain. I know you don’t know me, and I know you have no reason to trust me, but I can fix it, if you allow me to.”

Hermione pushed between them, her hands closing around each of their wrists in a death grip. It was the only show of her fear and worry. Her face stayed calm and bored, eyes cold and lifeless.

“So you know why this is happening to me?”

The older witch nodded. Harry could see the intelligence and caution in her eyes. This was the woman who had lied to the Dark Lord to save his life.

“Why would you be willing to help me? I’m a mudblood.”

Harry watched the reactions in the room. Mrs. Malfoy, probably through years of pureblood training, kept her face blank of any emotion. The Headmaster frowned, eyes burning with pain and anger. Malfoy seemed to shrink in on himself, the relaxed state Harry had gotten him to crumbling under his pain. Zabini’s face fell into the blank boredom he usually wore while Nott flinched as if struck. Parkinson’s eyes filled with tears as she looked to her feet as Ron hissed his disapproval.

“Miss Granger. I understand your wariness. I understand your anger and your need to lash out. I may have been dragged through the war because of my husband and his family’s views but not once have I ever used that filthy word. There is nothing wrong with your blood status and you have proven over and over again that you have more of a place in this world than some of the purest bloodlines around.”

Mrs. Malfoy stepped closer, raising her hands in a show of surrender as the tension in all their shoulders ratcheted up another notch.

“As for why I would help you. You are a young girl. A brilliant and lovely witch who does not deserve the pain you are going through. The war already left enough scars and trauma that all of you young people should not have had to deal with but will have to regardless. You should not have the added weight of slowly going insane due to a magical bloodline that should not have infected you in the first place. And make no mistake, Miss Granger, it will drive you insane. You saw proof of what the Black magic does when a witch or wizard does not have a stable platform to grow on. My sister was not always so maniacal. At one point, she was in fact very beautiful and intelligent and quite sane.”

Though Harry and Ron were sending out ‘stay away’ vibes with everything they had, the older witch continued to move forward. Her soothing tone washed over them as she reached past their shoulders and cupped Hermione’s face in her hand. The effect was almost instantaneous. Hermione groaned, a sob breaking from her chest as she leaned into them and then passed to fall against the other witch.

“Oh, Godric, it’s so quiet. It took hours for Malfoy to make it do that.”

Mrs. Malfoy kept one hand on Hermione’s face, the other she soothed over her hair, magic flowing from her fingertips to untangle the curls as she went.

“My sweet Dragon has more of the Malfoy magic in his veins than the Black. Mine is a much closer source for yours to fall into. If you allow me, I can make it stay this way. It’s a simple enough spell to do. You would have to practice with either myself or Draco and your magic will feel a little darker in nature from here on out. But given a few months of exercising the excess off that has built up, you would be able to go back to feeling relatively like yourself.”

Harry swallowed his own tears as he watched his best friend sink further and further into the Malfoy matriarch.

“What are the side effects?”

Thank Godric for Ron. Harry wasn’t born in the wizarding world. He didn’t know what the right questions were to ask.

“They can vary. Anything from a very dark tint to her magic and what subjects she is more potent in, to no change at all. Though, if I had to guess, I think with how far along the taint already is, she will need to practice some safe but darker spells to keep the magic from becoming agitated again. Severus can easily teach her which ones are safe to use and do not cause any lasting addiction.”

Moving towards the sofa, pulling Hermione with her and making Harry’s nerves string tight again, Mrs. Malfoy continued answering Ron as she sat, allowing Hermione to lean fully into her.

“She may take on other Black family traits. It can be physical, such as how dark her eyes already seem to have become. Simple things like that. She will gain a feeling of familiarity and even likely a fondness for any witch or wizard who has Black magic running in their veins.”

Malfoy seemed to come alive, looking up at the two witches on the couch.

“Is that why I feel an overwhelming urge to protect her?”

Mrs. Malfoy gave him a loving smile, petting Hermione’s hair as she gestured for Malfoy to come sit. He went to them as if having stayed away was pulling his very skin and bones apart. 

“Yes, my dragon. It will only get worse if she agrees to the spell. The Blacks have always had siblings to lean on. The fact that you were an only child will expound on that feeling. For you, she will probably feel like a long-lost sister come home. It is something you will have to learn to control so you don’t become smothering or overbearing.”

At this, Harry piped up, having thought of something himself.

“Will that affect me as well if I go through with the magical adoption with my godfather?”

Mrs. Malfoy nodded, helping Hermione sit up as she seemed to finally have gotten control of her breakdown.

“Most likely, yes. Cousin Sirius does not create as strong of a feeling as my sisters did, but I still know when he is near and if he is upset. Given your relationship with Miss Granger already, I have no doubt you will feel the connection even more deeply than Sirius and I do.”

Ron pulled Harry from his musings with a hand on his shoulder.

“I thought you had decided not to go through with that.”

Harry nodded, looking over his shoulder to meet the redhead's eyes.

“I had. But if it gives Hermione another stable magical core to hold on to, it might be worth pursuing, right?”

Ron seemed to take his time, think about it, before nodding his head.

“Yeah. Actually, I think it would be. I’ll ask Mum and Dad about it when I see them in Hogsmeade this weekend. They will know more about what we are wanting to understand.”

Harry nodded, excitement filling him at the prospect of finally seeing Hermione’s mania come to an end.

“Malfoy said…”

He watched as Malfoy flinched, curling in on himself more. Something about the pose reminded Harry of his promise.

“Sorry… Draco said…”

The blonde's head snapped up; eyes wide in shock. Though it was not the first time today he had used his name, it was the first in front of everyone else. He gave the other boy a small smile.

“...that it would be more potent if we also had Dromeda to assist. Is that still the case or will having only you be enough?”

Mrs. Malfoy gave him a stunning smile as he said her son’s name. Not having a mother of his own and being away from Mrs. Weasley for so long, he felt more of that apathy wash away under a strange feeling of pride.

“More than likely, it would give her another layer of stability to lean on. Having just my magic should be enough but if Miss Granger wishes to have multiple layers of protection, I have no doubt my sister would be happy to assist. Draco can as well, if she wishes. He may be a Malfoy but the fact that he was able to help her at all means there is enough of my magic running in his veins to add him into the spell. Again, if Miss Granger wishes.”

Draco looked back and forth between his mother and Hermione and him, opening his mouth to speak only to pause at the quiet words from the girl set between his mother and him.

“Hermione. You can call me Hermione if you like, Mrs. Malfoy.”

The older witch smiled, brushing over Hermione’s face and clearing all evidence of her tears, leaving her pale but clear eyed and smooth cheeked.

“Then I insist you call me Narcissa. I think given time, you and I will become quite good friends, Hermione.”

Hermione smiled at the other witch, hope, for the first time in a long time, shining through her gaze.

“I’d like that, Narcissa.”

xoXOXox