Somehow after seeing Dudley’s face stuck to a man’s shoe Harry gained perspective and a weight lifted off of him. It’s going to give me nightmares for a while, but I’ll be alright in a couple of days, just like always.

It hadn’t been grief for his relatives that had made him numb it was the sheer unexpected and unreal violence of it. Even in the two wars he had lived through somehow the Dursleys had persevered, untouched, untarnished in their mundanely malicious suburbanism. Except he did feel some small regret because he had been a father and lost his own children and saw them as precious creatures, even one as wasteful as Dudley gained his pity in dying as horribly as he did. The small measure of guilt was balanced by the fact that he had not condemned the Dursleys as he had those he sent on errands he knew they wouldn’t come back from in the last war. He would allow guilt only for his direct decisions and shrug off what came incidentally. And the Dursleys were nothing but incidental in the war he had started with Voldemort and ended up fighting against Mortfidèle.

At least I have my letter, now I have to get to Bianca and then Hogwarts. I might find answers to save both her and Sirius there.

He had allowed himself to be taken away far from the rubble where the Ministry workers were clearing Dudley’s remains with gray faces. Others were finishing setting the wards that made the house invisible to muggles in its true nature making it seem like an empty lot. Still more were enchanting the neighborhood to sleep through the racket and not remember anything when they awoke.

Tonks, so young and fragile, stood by him worn from the night but having a kind of unending energy he knew only came when people tried desperately to make sense of a travesty. He guided her to sit down on the curb matching her when she kicked out her feet.

“We can’t put him in an orphanage now, he has a Hogwarts letter. What do we tell the muggles supposed to help him look for a family? It doesn’t make sense,” it was the broad Healer Harry had noticed before arguing with a group of people who all looked about as certain as a burlesque show dancer at an ecclesiastic conference. That is, not at all.

“What are we to do with him? He’s a muggle born, he might be more comfortable with muggles. Imagine the shock of going into a magical household before he’s been to Hogwarts,” one of the nameless bureaucrats spoke next, irritating Harry.

Muggle orphanage is best, Harry mused. I can strike out on my own from there, could get a house elf or two from Lucius. Best of all no magical guardian to poke about in my secrets.

Just as he was about to add his own two cents about his future Tonks got up red in the face, Harry thought she was going to be sick again but instead she stalked to the group of wizards and witches.

“How can you talk about him like that? He’s right there! His whole family was killed and you want to send him to an orphanage? Are you crazy or just stupid?” she hollered.

“Intern Tonks!” a witch Auror snapped trying to hush her. Harry walked to his friend slowly, standing behind her ready to pull her back before she harmed her career. But he had to act like a child too and couldn’t just make her shut up.

“I owe him a life debt. I’m taking him home.” Tonks crossed her arms over her chest.

“You are not of age, Miss Tonks. A slip of a girl of sixteen can’t take responsibility for a child, especially one who from this night on will be known as the boy-who-lived.” The wizard punctuated his sentence with a tap of his polished dark cane on the ground. Harry hid his smile at Lucius’ entrance; he had gathered all attention to himself with ease, bowing his groomed head in greeting, looking as if he was always stylishly dressed past midnight.

Tonks deflated being reminded of her age and knowing she had no legal standing to take Harry in.

“My mother and father love kids,” she retorted.

Lucius was on the verge of deriding her silkily again when he saw Harry gesture to him not to. “She protected me. I like her,” he said in as child-like way he could, gaining a few smiles from the bureaucrats. Lucius nodded in an imperceptive acknowledgment of Harry’s command even as Tonks muttered that she hadn’t done a very good job of it.

“I am sure Miss Tonks brought honor to her family by her actions. I am sorry for dismissing your concern for the boy,” Lucius quite gracefully apologized stunning everyone.

“Aw, thanks Uncle Lucius.” Tonks cheekily smiled and Harry saw a flash of irritation on his thrall’s face before he matched her daring.

“You are as sweet as you were when running naked in the garden chasing gnomes as a toddler.”

Tonks blushed furiously. The witch Auror cleared her throat trying to head off a fight that was likely to break out whenever a member of a disowned pureblood family met one of those who were in good standing.

“Mr. Malfoy it is good to see that you are well. We received a letter from the Minister informing us that you had escaped the serial killer. May I ask why you are here, however?” she asked him somehow not wording the suspicion that was all too clear in her stance. Harry made note of the stocky blond Auror wondering if she could be use to him later.

“As a Hogwarts governor I was appalled to find out that a magical child who had already been overlooked in the owl invitations sent out this year was attacked by a dark wizard using demonic summoning, no less.”Here he affected a troubled expression. “As I was leaving the Minister’s office his good secretary informed us both of what was happening. The Minister was able to convince me to wait till the Aurors contained the situation but I have come as soon as I heard word that it was secure. And none too soon, we are once again about to do poorly by the boy. I cannot stand for it. I ask leave to take the boy to my home. I can provide for him.”

“Horse shit,” a bass voice calmly but very clearly commented. “Malfoy you’re as dark as the bastard who tried to kill the child. You think I am so much a fool that I will let a Death Eater walk off with the boy-who-lived?”

“I could never quite say how much of a fool you are, Wayne Rivers,” Lucius retorted without bite taking off his gloves and tucking them in a pocket.  He gave a condescending look to the the Auror naked from the waist up to facilitate the bandages covering his chest and shoulders. Harry watched with some amusement though didn’t quite want Wayne Rivers the Auror Captain to hurt himself more.

“Gentleman, gentleman,” the Auror witch stepped between them holding her hands out. Somehow the force of her personality had made her the leader in the current group. The other bureaucrats too lost to be decisive. “I think, Mr. Malfoy, that it would be a terrible choice to put Mr. Potter with you seeing as you have so recently escaped the serial killer. It is obvious that you are a target. We can’t in good conscience put a child in harm’s way.”

“Great, then I can keep him!” Tonks cheered, reminding everyone that she was there, though it was hard to miss as her hair which had been a despondent brown went to yellow, red, and pink in quick succession.

Harry gave Lucius a desperate shake of the head behind Tonks’ back.  He had realized that Mortfidèle could just as easily attack her home as he had his.

“For the very same reason the boy cannot go with Miss Tonks. We know he is being, as you said, ‘targeted.’ The Tonks family would be in grave danger,” Malfoy added.

“Do you have a police station?” Harry piped up feeling a little cheap for playing the child.

“Police?” one of the bureaucrats asked, confused.

“Muggle Aurors,” Wayne Rivers explained, sitting on the stretcher he had left to call out Malfoy. “Yes, we do, boy. Why?”

“My name is Harry.” He was getting tired of being called ‘boy.’ “I can stay at the station, I’ll be safe there. I can go somewhere else in the morning?” he suggested as hesitantly as he could make himself.

The idea was taken up immediately, especially by the Ministry officials who were relieved they could put off the decision till the next day. The Aurors were happy that they would have guardianship of him for the time being. The only person unhappy was Tonks. Harry dearly wanted to go home with her. He wanted to see her mother who had become such a dear friend to him and reignite that connection. But it was that very care of them both because of which he didn’t want to put them in danger.

<~>

The officials decided that Harry should be taken to the Auror department post haste. Lucius Malfoy volunteered to accompany them. The Healer and the short wizard Harry had seen the Unspeakables run to came along as well. Somehow Lucius had found a moment to be alone with Harry before they summoned the Knight bus.

“Achelous, be careful, you have enemies here. I am glad I arrived when I did, if they had succeeded in sending you to a muggle orphanage there would have been another attack,” he warned quietly not letting anything show on his face for the people who were spying on them.

Harry had felt the cold calm of battle wash over him. “Who?” he had asked.

Lucius didn’t want to say and had moved off quickly to intercept a few wizards who were making their way to him. Harry had easily read their body language to tell that they were exchanging threats with the Malfoy head. Some of them were looking at Lucius with confusion, maybe expecting him to aid them. So they don’t know yet that Malfoy has left them.  

After that news Harry watched his impromptu guard with a lot more suspicion. His tendency to view the Ministry as mostly fools had overridden his caution earlier. There was the Healer, the witch Auror, and the unnamed wizard who commanded the Unspeakables’ respect. The last two were Lucius, his thrall, and Tonks, his friend. He felt his odds were good.

“Remarkable isn’t it? Two survivors of the killing curse. Both Potters, but one from a muggle born line,” The Healer commented.

“It is odd that the Hidden Hand targeted a boy with the same last name as the girl-who-lived,” the witch Auror said as they all descended into the Ministry from the telephone booth elevator.

“Not so remarkable when you realize that the boy is the brother of the girl-who-lived,” the short wizard whose position Harry couldn’t pin down softly interjected.

There was a moment of shock on everyone’s face, and Lucius played along admirably as Harry rolled his eyes to himself. They had only now figured it out. But he did note to himself to be careful around the short wizard. He was of a nondescript middle age with hair cut more in the muggle short styles than the longer cuts wizards preferred after a certain maturity of age. The rest of his manner and clothing spoke of neatness and economy of movement. If Harry had to guess he would say the short wizard was a clerk somewhere in the Ministry, unassuming and efficient. That is, if he hadn’t seen the Unspeakbles defer to him. He must be one of their own. He gave the wizard a measuring look who smiled encouragingly.

“Yes, Mr. Potter, I am certain you have a sister. I suppose you didn’t know you had magical family?” he asked gently.

Harry felt his behavior disarming but simply shook his head in negative not sharing more.

“Are you sure, Pym?” the Auror asked, as Tonks took Harry’s hand walking off the elevator to the watch warden’s desk.

The Ministry was even more impressive in the absence of crowds. Polished marble floor seemed to go on forever, an effect Harry knew the custodians prided themselves in charming on the building. Seemingly too far and high to reach the magical veil twinkled in silver letters guiding visitors to their destinations. Harry always felt calm in this part of the Ministry, having worked there so long and been part of its changing into becoming a real bastion of right under Shaklebot.

“I taught Jamie Potter for a few years and unsuccessfully tried to keep her brother from interrupting her studies. The family resemblance is unmistakable. Of course I have already confirmed it from his blood too.” Pym casually waved to the watch warden who didn’t ask for any of their wands.

“My blood?” Harry demanded, falling into his elder demeanor because of the surprise. For the moment he was more concerned about his blood being taken than the revelation of the wizard’s connection to his aunt.  

“You were injured, Mr. Potter. I asked one of Healer Gordon’s assistants to hand me a swab he had used to wash your wounds. A simple divination spell used against the record we have of your sister’s blood confirmed it. I am sure you are very happy,” he said, holding the grill to the elevator open.

Harry noticed it wasn’t just him who was riveted by Pym’s explanation, but he and Malfoy were probably the only ones who were worried.

“But what was he doing in a muggle-?” The Auror began to ask but was interrupted by Pym with a shake of his head clearly telling her not to ask.  

“I don’t appreciate my assistants being fooled into betraying a patient’s privacy, Mr. Pym,” Healer Gordon objected giving that aggressive glare of his Harry had appreciated before.

“Do you know much about Demonic magicks, Healer Gordon?” Pym asked as he held his hand behind his back standing for the first time with a sense of presence. The subtle change bothered Harry and he hoped Lucius had noticed it too and was on guard.

“No, I can’t say I do. It is academic mostly even for curse specialists like myself.”

“What is it, Pym? Spill it,” the Auror witch demanded echoing Harry’s unaired sentiment.

“A demonic summoning like the one we found traces of is one of many demonic magicks in existence. One distinct feature, however, is that it needs a conduit. A ‘conduit’ being something or someone through which a demon or demonic energy can be brought into our world. Sometimes it is fatal to the conduit sometimes it is not. It is typically a very bad sign when the conduit isn’t killed because it means the demonic energy, plague, entity, whatever shape it may take can come back through again. The blood of the conduit if it is human or animal is changed when they become essentially the gate through which demons walk,” Pym finished his lecture in time with the elevator dinging to announce their arrival at the on the seventh floor.

“So you were checking if Mr. Potter was the conduit and needed to be…contained,” the witch Auror asked, for the first time looking nervous and shooting Harry a none-too-surreptitious look. Pym simply nodded in answer.

“But who would so such a thing? Demonic summoning are unheard of, isn’t there a curse linked to them?” The Healer demanded obviously nervous now.

“Only a fool of a wizard or witch would attempt it,” Lucius answered before Pym could. The Auror, Tonks, and Pym looked surprised at his fielding the question. Oddly it was Lucius who led to the Auror offices in the broad corridor of the seventh floor. “There is not a curse linked to demonic magic as you said Healer Gordon; that is a mere old wives’ tale that dissuades children too ambitious to know their limits from attempting to become powerful overnight.”

The Auror scoffed as Lucius opened the double doors of the Auror offices and motioned for the rest to enter ahead of him. He resumed his lesson from the rear, “Dealing in demons comes with a price always too heavy to bear. It is without fail more costly than the gain of using that magic. It is in a sense a service for which the wizard has to pay, either in favors, loss of knowledge, possession to any degree and amount of time – it can take many forms.” Lucius made an all inclusive gesture. “It is this lucky nature of the demonic why dark wizards and witches are the least likely to use it. There is not one who would let anyone have power over them. It is sadly mostly muggles who are susceptible to demonic worshipping and summoning in rituals symbolic enough that even they can find the right elements for,” he finished with distaste.

“You are fairly well studied, Mr. Malfoy,” Pym complimented retracting into his unassuming posture.

“I don’t understand. Who was it that used it to get to this poor child?” Healer Gordon asked no one in particular missing Harry’s annoyed look at being painted helpless.

“The Hidden Hand,” Tonks whispered, her hand gripping Harry’s just a little too tightly.

“Please that is a ghost story,” Healer Gordon waved his hand in the air as if brushing away an irritating insect.

“I am afraid that Captain Wayne Rivers confirms it as do the others we were able to revive. His skill and depravity match the ghost stories,” the Auror somberly reported waving off her colleagues who seemed to have been waiting for someone’s return from the scene of the outbreak. “And now I will ask you gentleman to return to your affairs. Thank you for escorting Mr. Potter with me, but as you can see we have enough Aurors to handle it from here.”

Healer Gordon shook Harry’s hand giving his condolences and welcoming him to the magical world before heading out the doors. Lucius made a weak attempt to speak with Harry but being subject of nearly every Auror’s stare in the department merely raised his cane to his forehead in a salute and followed the Healer.

“Would you like to accompany me to the Minister, Pym?” the witch asked after watching Malfoy leave.

“You will not wait for Captain Rivers?”

“The Minister has been waiting anxiously for news. He wouldn’t be here at this hour of the night otherwise. Captain Rivers is badly wounded. I don’t want him to exert more than he already has.”

“It is important he speaks with the Minister. His and Intern Tonks’ testimonies are the most important,” Pym pressed. “But I will go with you. Goodnight, Mr. Potter, Miss Tonks. Try not to think of what you saw today.”

Harry watched their retreating backs extremely uneasy of Pym.

“What did you teach my aunt, Mr. Pym?” he called out.

The short wizard smiled softly, “Arithmancy, Mr. Potter. I hope you have the same magical aptitude as her in the subject. I am sure we can expect great things from you.”

The doors swung behind them as they left. Harry was sure that Pym was a ranked Unspeakable, especially after his talk of Demonology, but how far up he couldn’t guess. Obviously the man was observant enough to have linked him Bianca even when the rest of the Ministry officials hadn’t made the connection. That quality of his could prove to be a problem if Harry had to see more of him.

~

The Aurors had taken Tonks’ attention as soon as the Senior Auror and Pym left. She had been sweet enough to tell them to wait till she settled him in one of the overnight bunkers used by the staff and promised to be back later. It gave Harry sometime to think and plan his next move.

It was a good guess that someone would now contact his Aunt or Dumbledore and try to place him back with the Potters. That would suit him perfectly. If only Pym had been part of the group of Ministry officials trying to decide what to do with him even now he could’ve been meeting his Aunt for the first time. He wasn’t concerned about Bianca’s safety that night. She would be protected much better than he was being under a blood ward using old magic. Nothing he had cast on the Dursley house could match that since he had been hampered by not doing so much obvious and heavy magic even late at night for fear of attracting the muggles’ notice and in turn the Ministry’s.

Tonks entered the Auror night shift quarters which though were supposed to have bunk beds were anything but. Lines of comfortable four poster beds line the walls with a faux decorative divider running the length of the room dividing the witches from the wizards. Harry had been amused to realize that Tonks had put him on witches’ side.

The young witch stretched and took off her robes leaving them in a pile by the bed. Under her clothes she was wearing black boxers and a sports bra stretched to its limit. A small stud glinted at her belly button and Harry realized he was staring. Before Tonks had died in his time, the boys had often wondered if her hair changed colors down there too; right then seemed to be an excellent opportunity to find out.

“You know only boys wear boxers,” he commented.

She shrugged, lifting the duvet to slip in next to him. “I didn’t do laundry this week. I work out in these. Are you okay?” she asked putting an arm around him. Harry tried not to think of her smooth skin against his cheek and mock glared at her.

“I am a boy and you are a girl in her underwear in my bed.”

“No, I am a girl in my bed. Why? Worried people will talk?” she smirked which did wonderful things to her lips.  

“I don’t care, I mean, I’ve already made it to second base with you, can only get better from here.” It was his turn to smile suggestively at her.

“When did you get to second base with me?” She was scandalized.

“Remember when you tried to kill me in your breasts because you were so happy I was alive?”

“Oh.” She gave a sheepish grin. “You shouldn’t even be thinking of things like that, little perv.”

“I can’t help you’re beautiful and stripped before getting in bed with me.”

“Oh that’s it, pervert, this is war,” she declared right before jumping in the air under the covers and pouncing on him. He panicked for a moment before she started tickling him and he squealed and laughed like a little girl. Getting tickled was always a humiliating experience for him. Even as nearly a fifty year old he couldn’t live with himself for being so completely undone by tickling.

Just when he was nearly breathless while appreciating a nubile and sweating young girl over him laughing raucously someone interrupted them.

“What in Merlin’s name, are you doing to that child?” It was the clear and cultured voice of Narcissa Malfoy, holding a picnic basket and levitating a small trunk. She was dressed in gray satin robes with semi precious jewel embroidered on the trim. Her blond locks curled bounced on her shoulders as she swept like royalty toward them.

Tonks got off of him flushed and embarrassed. “We were just playing. You’re not allowed in here.” She sat up against the headboard secretly pulling out her wand she had slid under the pillows. Harry liked her wariness even if it wasn’t warranted.

“Tut, tut, dear, cover yourself first.” Narcissa flicked her wand at the robes divested by the bed sending them to Tonks. “I am here with permission from the Minister. Don’t worry yourself. You must be Harry Potter, I am Narcissa Malfoy, my husband escorted you here.”

“It’s nice to meet you, ma’m,” Harry entered the conversation watching the blond witch imperiously magic a bed close to them so she could sit on it facing the side Harry was lying on.

“I have brought food and clothes. You haven’t eaten yet have you?” she continued in her aloof manner spelling the picnic basket to lay out its innards on the bed she had scooted close to them.

Harry replied no making Narcissa fix her niece with a disapproving look. “You haven’t even fed the child? Or were you too busy giving the wizards peeking through the doors a show while manhandling him in your underwear?”

“I wasn’t giving anyone a show. I was going to bed and we just playing. I don’t care what the minister says you’re not allowed here. Please leave!”

“Trust me, darling, the Aurors were stuck to the crack in the door. If I hadn’t hexed the voyeurs they would still be looking. And do have better manners than you’re displaying, I know your mother raised you better.” Narcissa floated a steaming hot meal of meats and vegetables with gravy over them to Harry on a plate keeping up with her niece.

“You don’t call me ‘darling’ and you don’t get to talk about my mother anymore, you dumped her like the rest of your family.” Tonks was getting heated and Harry wondered if he should interject but the chicken was so succulent and he hadn’t eaten in a while.

“Maybe not,” real regret colored Narcissa’s words as she leaned over to tuck a napkin in Harry’s collar. “How is Andromeda?”

“Why would I tell you?” Tonks petulantly stuck her chin out.

“Because I wish to know. Display some manners befitting a young lady at least and tell me if my sister is well,” Narcissa snapped.

“She’s great. She loves her life, Dad is doing wonderfully too, and oh look! Me too! I am having a terribly happy time. How are you doing, Auntie?” Tonks made the word sound dirty.

Narcissa gave a catty smile that would provoke a positive reaction from any man. “What a sweet thing to call me. Thank you, Nymphadora. I heard you performed very impressively today.”

“Not really, people are making it out to be bigger than it was. I didn’t do much…couldn’t do much.” Tonks lost her good mood and wilted where she sat against the headboard.

“You stood bravely against the Hidden Hand, Nymphadora. I never had the courage to do it. I know I would be proud if you were my daughter. You really are Andromeda’s child, she never knew when to stop being brave.”

Harry realized that she was trying to forge a connection back with her sister through her niece.

“Um, thank you.” Tonks looked nonplussed and taken aback by Narcissa’s confession. “So why are you here? I mean everyone knows which side you were on so if you’re here to kidnap him I’m not going to let you.”

Narcissa simply floated another plate with hot food on it to Tonks and giving Harry another helping.

“If you really thought I was here to kidnap him you wouldn’t be sitting so calmly. Although I am sure your wand is close by. I will tell you this once, and you can’t repeat it to anyone but your own family. I am on the side of whoever can finish off the Hidden Hand. I want him ripped apart and dead so he can never touch me again. Do you understand?” her voice shook vehemently.

Tonks nodded unconsciously imitating Narcissa’s hairstyle which perturbed the older witch. Harry was content to stay out of the family spat and enjoyed the cooking, though he did think the hair didn’t suit Tonks as much as it did Narcissa.

“Intern Tonks?” the Senior Auror witch called from the doorway.

“I’ll be back. Don’t do anything,” Tonks warned Narcissa, putting on her robes and rushing out to answer the Senior Auror.

Narcissa and Harry watched the young witch leave in silence noting she hadn’t forgotten the plate of piping hot food. When she was gone a change came over both of them, where they had been relaxed in their assumed roles before they didn’t need to play them anymore.

“Harry, are you alright? Lucius said you were hit by the killing curse,” Narcissa’s cold demeanor gave way to pure concern as she brushed her cool fingers against the sunburst scar on his cheek.

“I am fine. What are you doing here?”

“You were cursed with the worst of the Unforgiveables! I had to see you were alive with my own eyes.” She took his hands in hers.

Harry was at once warmed and worried by her affection. There had been a niggling doubt in his mind since he had enthralled her. He hadn’t gone as deep with her as he had with Lucius. He hadn’t thought he needed to. She had chosen to follow him of her own accord, and so there wasn’t much in the way magically creating loyalty he had to do.

The problem he was beginning to realize was that she had truly cared what happened to Harry Potter ever since she had seen him in the Dursley household. It probably didn’t help that she saw his nature when he enthralled her.

As overwhelming as the secret magic hidden the Department of Mysteries could be it was also old and susceptible to subtleties. Narcissa possessing a true emotion would override any artificial devotion he tried to instill in her. His prophesied power reacted best to its true forms of which selfless love was the highest. Lily’s sacrifice to save him leaving an unbeatable protection, Bianca’s touch creating a spontaneous blood ward just because she wanted to save him were the best examples. He worried if Narcissa’s true concern for a neglected child that she thought him to be had saved her from his darker uses of that power.

“Narcissa, I didn’t tell you to come here, to bring food, clothes, and leave the safety of your house. In fact the last thing I told you to do was the go into hiding. Why did you disobey me?”

“You’ve given me hope, Achelous…Harry. I needed to know you were well and safe. I couldn’t stand waiting to see if you hadn’t come away whole knowing Mortfidèle had sent a demonic curse and then used the killing curse.”

Harry brought her hands clenching his to his lips laying a small kiss on her knuckles. “I am just the same as before. You don’t have to worry.” It was clear that is she wanted she could disobey him, something Lucius couldn’t do. “Tell me do you think Lucius feels the same way about me as you do?”

A flash of something she wanted to hide went through her eyes and Harry waited holding her hands. He was ready to use his magic to enter her again and see if she was still beholden to his will and if he dominated her reason. But already he knew that at least one of the two she had complete control over.

“My husband says you remade him in your magic…I think you changed him much more than me. He is your hand wholly and solely.” She paused, unsure if she should say what was waiting on her tongue. “I am glad that I have the man back who used to show me he loved me. I am glad he isn’t the dark and embittered wizard who only thought of conquest day in and day out, but he does not have his own will anymore.” She looked away from him drawing her hand back.

“No, he has my will.” As should you, he added in his mind now certain that he had enthralled Narcissa to a very small degree, perhaps only to the extent of taking away her ability to betray him.

“Yes, only your will,” she softly agreed.

“That is the only way it could be for him. If you really know him you should know that. It was either that or death. Be happy that I washed away the grime covering his love of you and family.”

“I am.”

“You don’t resent it?”

“I do, I don’t, I don’t know. You didn’t remake me like you did him, why?”

Harry felt dumbstruck by her question for a second, not realizing she would be so insightful. “Because you cared, Narcissa. You had a saving grace. Will you betray me for what I did to Lucius?”

“I can’t.”She gave a rueful smile. “I have already tested my limit by trying to simply think of betraying you. Feelings of shame and fear choke me and I can’t do it.” She looked to him earnestly. “I have done terrible things but I can’t allow myself to betray the child I met as Harry Potter. I have seen the glimpses of your life. I will not betray a child who has suffered so much so courageously.”

There was silence between them as Harry weighed what he heard and she waited for his reaction with her golden head bowed in her own thoughts.

“I am old, Narcissa, older than you are now. You don’t have to pity me or see me like I am kid. If that is the thing standing in your way and betraying me, it isn’t enough.” Harry sighed wondering exactly what the secret power had wrought in her.

“I-I know you have lived long in spirit as a Seer, but you bear the burden of battles in the future. You have given me hope for a life after all this is over, one without He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, Mortfidèle, and Dumbledore. I crave your kindness, Harry. Please, I will not betray you. I vow to it.”

Harry acknowledged the fact that she thought he was a seer after watching glimpses of his life when he had enthralled her. It was another cause for concern. In Lucius’ case it didn’t matter, he was utterly under his control, but Narcissa was different.

“If you ever and I mean ever take up Voldemort’s cause I will end you without hesitation. I know you still think muggle born are beneath you and undeserving of magic, but if you act on your beliefs you won’t have my kindness. Do you understand?” He pointed his wand at her chest to emphasize his point. Everything she had said had convinced him that she had too much of her own will and he needed to make sure she understood her place in his circle.

“I understand.” She bowed in submission once before sitting back regally as Harry slipped away his wand. “It is not even blood that matters to me, serving the Dark Lord shattered any ideas of blood’s glory I had. These muggle-born come into our world every year bringing their customs and ways of outside thinking showing no respect to what they have come to. We hand them our powerful and rich legacy without a price and they don’t honor it, they don’t adopt our old ways.

“They study our customs and history in their classes but they don’t understand it. The purebloods live the magical history and they own the traditions and ways that to the muggle born are only a two foot essay. I disgusts me.”

Harry was mildly surprised. He had heard similar arguments before but not without a wand pointed at him and a maniac behind it. Somehow sitting in a bed he could take it better even if he believed most of it was contrived.

“The purebloods hoard the traditions and the ways, Narcissa. Don’t tell me anyone ever makes an attempt to include the muggle born. If the legacy you’re so proud of can only be found in musty old history books, what do you expect?” he provoked her, hoping he would lead her in the direction he wanted.

“Then they should make more of an effort,” she retorted with feeling.

“No, I think you should. I think you should teach them.” He smiled mischievously confusing Narcissa.

“What do you mean?” she asked slowly as if she really didn’t want to know the answer.

“I told you to convince Dumbledore you repented, right?”

“Yes, I spoke to him today to report what I had found at your home. He wants me to spy on Mortfidèle for him to pay my debt to society.” She tossed her head angrily.

“Good, then the ground work is laid. You will give him the little speech you gave me about muggle born and magical legacy but you will add that you want to help the muggle born live it instead of them learning of those things in history class. Narcissa, I want you to teach at Hogwarts. I need my own people there. You will be safe from Mortfidèle and you will serve me. What do you think?” he asked happily glad something had presented to him so nicely.

“It will be easier to spy on Dumbledore if I am at Hogwarts as you wanted,” she agreed. “The idea is repugnant and intelligent.”

“There, there, ‘Cissa. Now, after you teach the muggles how it’s done and they are still disrespectful you can whine and condemn them as much as you want. Till then you can’t say anything.”

She sighed, defeated. “Yes, Achelous.”

“Achelous? What happened to calling me ‘Harry’” he wondered out loud.

“I only call you the name Lucius gave you when you command. The rest of the time you are Harry to me. You’ve left you greens please finish up.”

Harry scowled. “I’m a grown man, Narcissa, I can damn well leave my greens if I feel like it.”

“Not right now you aren’t, Harry. Your body needs nourishment and strength. You are going to be a lord you must look the part,” she decreed washing away Harry’s irritation with her conviction. He laughed lightly and submitted to her mothering.

When Tonks entered Narcissa was sitting behind Harry one leg folded under a brush in her hand trying to tame his hair. Wet towels were spread on the bed with wiped grime and blood from Harry. Seeing her Narcissa gave a small smile in greeting leaving the bed and settling Harry in. She kissed his face and gathered her things after whispering something to him. Tonks wondered what the snake was hissing in his ears and resolved to tell Harry to beware of her.

She walked to her as if she was going to walk past, Tonks untied her robes pretending to ignore her aunt and getting ready for bed. She was surprised then when she felt cool fingers gently rest on her arm. She looked up at the taller woman, trying not to feel unrefined next to the graceful dark witch.

“Bella is dead. Your mother and I are the only ones who care she’s gone-”

“She was a heartless bitch,” Tonks interjected. Narcissa twitched as if just holding herself from slapping the girl.

“Whatever she was, she was my sister. Please ask Andromeda to bury Bella with me. The Ministry is finally releasing her body. Goodnight Nymphadora, let the boy take care of you, he is very sweet.”

“Un huh,” Tonks replied finding Narcissa’s behavior strange and her advice odd. Wasn’t she the one supposed to take care of Harry, not the other way ‘round? 

She dimmed the lights and took off her robes again crawling under the covers tiredly. “You smell fresh and clean.” She smelled in the flowery fragrance.

“She couldn’t believe that you have a bedroom here but no showers. The woman is impossible, she made me wash with wet towels,” Harry griped, as Tonks curled her hand around his shutting her eyes.

“You’re an odd kid you know.” She yawned making Harry yawn too.

“As odd as you but at least you’re cute,” he mumbled.

“Perv.”

“Tease.”

“Going to kill you for that in the morning,” she threatened without any real spite.

“Mhm.”

“Harry, thanks for saving my life.”

“Getting to second base with you was worth it.”

“Perv.” She chuckled wondering just where he got his confidence. He squeezed her hand once and she heard his breathing even out. She thought of the red haired woman’s words and Narcissa’s advice then slept off herself.

~Fin~