Author’s Note: I wanted to thank you guys for the reviews, comments to my e-mail or LJ and general support in whatever form you’ve been giving it. I’m still working to complete this story, but for a change of pace I’ve worked on a Halloween D/G fic that I will have posted around the 29th or 30th of October. Hopefully you’ll check this out and let me know what you think. It’s still untitled, but it’s completely written and going to beta as we speak…
Chapter 28 – A Missing Narcissa
Having searched the entire house, Draco stepped out onto the front steps and summoned the group into the foyer. His fears were well-founded; his mother was missing and he had no idea where to start looking for her. Not only was he concerned for her safety - she was the only key to finding Ginny. He felt completely lost and helpless inside.
After hearing Draco’s announcement that his mother was missing, no one knew quite what to say or do and a silence fell over them. Hermione was the first to break it.
“I’m reluctant to say this, but you do have house-elves, correct?”
Draco nodded. He couldn’t seem to get his brain to form a logical thought and Hermione’s suggestion seemed so simple that it aggravated the hell out of him. He didn’t trust himself to speak without snapping at Hermione, so Draco just inclined his head in assent. He knew he should talk to Blinka rather than get worked up over the matter and with that thought immediately walked through the dining room and into the kitchen, leaving the others to await his return.
Blinka’s room ran adjacent to the pantry off to the side of the fireplace. Draco had never been in here before, but knew where each of the house-elves slept. Once he approached the small door to her room he rapped softly so as not to startle her. After receiving no response, he gently opened the door and peeked in to see a sleeping Blinka wrapped in a sheet on her tiny bed.
“Blinka.” Draco whispered, trying not to frighten the elf. When she didn’t move he took a more drastic approach and poked her with his wand. “Blinka you need to wake up – this is important.”
The elf jumped at the poke of Draco’s wand and shot up in bed to stare him in the face. She shrieked and pulled the sheet up to her neck, looking quite scared.
“M-master? Is it you?”
Draco gave her a questioning look and nodded his head. “Who else would it be? What’s the matter with you, Blinka - and where’s Mother? I’ve looked all over the Manor and can’t find her. Dobby said that she wasn’t here last night, either. Did Father come? Are they with the Dark…are they with Voldemort?
Blinka gradually shook her head no as if she were denying him an answer. Draco was getting angrier by the second yet resisted the urge to reach out and shake her.
He tried to slow his heart rate and spoke calmly. “You have no idea where she is?”
Blinka stood from the bed and held a hand out to Draco. “Blinka…Blinka needs to show Master something. Will he come with me?”
Draco was skeptical yet extended his hand out toward Blinka’s. With a tiny “pop” they were gone from her quarters and Draco found himself standing in the middle of his father’s study; the picture of Salazaar Slytherin staring down at them. Blinka walked swiftly to the dark green serpent that sat on the fireplace mantel and gave it a small tap with her hand. The mantel swung inward and let Draco and Blinka crawl through the crevice into the drafty secret room. The hair on the back of Draco’s neck began to stand and he feared what he was about to find. Hesitantly, he raised his wand and uttered “Lumos,” waiting for some appalling scene to unfold before him. What he didn’t expect to find, however, was an old gray-haired woman lying in a heap on the stone floor. Her hands were bound behind her and she appeared to be sleeping.
Draco’s skin suddenly broke out in goose-bumps and he had an odd feeling about all of this. He knew he should check the woman to make sure that she was really sleeping, but he was quite uneasy about doing so. Why would she be here? And tied up? Casting his fears aside, Draco stooped down to her level and put a finger out to check her pulse – sighing with relief at the feel of a heartbeat.
He craned his neck around to look at Blinka. “Explain, Blinka. Who is she? What’s she doing in here?”
Blinka’s head dropped slightly. “It’s Miss Nadella, sir. Mistress brought her here, Master Draco.”
“Nadella? Nadella who--?” Draco’s voice trailed off as a series of flashbacks ran through his brain. He remembered a woman named Nadella from his early childhood who would occasionally accompany the other Death Eaters to the Manor to visit with his father. Her forearm never held the mark of the Dark Lord, yet she was always a supporter and kept his father in the loop.
Draco stood and stared down at the woman again, clearly confused at the entire situation. “You haven’t answered the rest of my questions, Blinka. What is she doing tied up and why did Mother bring her here?”
“Blinka doesn’t know, sir. Blinka only knows that Mistress brought her here while Mistress takes care of a few things.”
“What things?” Draco’s patience had all but worn thin and he could feel the anger bubbling up inside. “You’re going to take me to her right now, do you understand? Enough of this rubbish of keeping me in the dark.”
“But Master, sir – Blinka doesn’t know what the Mistress is up to or Blinka would have sent a message with Dobby. Master must believe Blinka for she is worried about the Mistress.”
Draco inhaled a deep breath and stared into her eyes. “But you know where she is, don’t you?”
Blinka nodded her head slightly and said, “But Mistress gave Blinka a direct order to—“
“I DON’T CARE WHAT MOTHER TOLD YOU!” Draco shouted with all of his might. “You are going to take me to her, do you understand?”
Blinka’s eyes filled with tears and she nodded her head again. “Yes, Master. Blinka can take Master Draco sir to his mother.”
Draco gave her a nudge toward the entrance to the tiny room and Blinka walked out into his father’s study once more. She turned and held out her hand to him.
“Wait.” Draco remembered the others. “We need to go to the foyer first.”
Blinka’s befuddled expression was evident, but she avoided crossing Draco a second time. “Yes, Master,” was all that the house-elf could utter before she grasped his hand again and Apparated into the midst of five other students.
“What took you so long?” Ron looked quite put-out and was all but tapping his foot in nervous anticipation.
Draco glared at him, but refrained from snapping Ron’s head off. Instead, his retort was short and to the point. “Shut your face, Weasley. Blinka’s taking us to my mother, so everyone join hands and we can get the bloody hell out of here.”
Without a word, the group grasped each other’s hands and waited for the inevitable. They swallowed hard, each fully aware of Narcissa’s possible location, yet quite anxious to find Ginny and bring her home safely.
Within seconds they were back in darkness, standing on the edge of an overgrown lawn beneath a shelter of trees. The clouds were thick above their heads, hiding the abundance of moonlight that was present in the sky the night before. They each held their breath at the site of an old manor, dark and dreary, lying before them on the other side of the lawn. As uninviting as it was, they knew they had to go there.
One by one, Draco looked into the eyes of the others. “Well, it’s time.”
They nodded their heads, but said nothing. It seemed as though none of them really knew what to do first. They couldn’t just storm into the place. For starters, the spells and enchantments protecting the perimeter were sure to be more than they bargained for. Draco was silently hoping that Granger had some idea of how to get them inside. He’d given up cursing the Mudblood over her confounded intelligence and accepted the fact that all six of them wouldn’t be here without her help.
As if his very thought was her cue, she walked forward to Ron and, touching her wand to his head, spoke a word that Draco couldn’t hear. He noticed Weasley give a slight shiver and then his body began to blend into the background. Hermione repeated the same gesture to Harry, then Pansy and Blaise. Each reacted in the same manner as Ron. He could see the outlines of their bodies, but they appeared almost transparent - a three-dimensional transparency if that was at all possible. Draco was awestruck and, because he was busy staring at the others, didn’t see Hermione approach him, yet just as her wand neared the tip of his head he grabbed her wrist.
“What are you doing, Granger?”
“It’s a disillusionment charm,” said Hermione. “It’s not full proof by any means, but it should give us the coverage we need to at least get up close to the manor without being detected. Our bodies will take on the appearance of anything behind us so that we’ll camouflage ourselves with the surroundings. I’m sure Voldemort will have anti-disillusionment charms cast within the manor, but it looks as though it’s going to work while we’re out here on the lawn.” She gave a tiny smile and raised her eyebrows cautiously as if asking to proceed.
Draco nodded his head slowly and, as she lifted her wand to his head again, he stopped her a second time. “Thanks, Granger” he said, rather gruffly.
She blinked, looking a bit taken aback at his good manners, but continued on with the charm. Draco immediately felt a cold chill running down his spine as though an egg had been dropped on his head and was oozing into his hair, under his robes and down the length of his body. Once he adjusted to the feeling he noticed that Hermione was now transparent like the rest of them.
“This is barking mad.” Blaise was waving his hand in front of his face, fascinated by his appearance. “Brilliant, mind you…but barking mad just the same.”
“Here.” Ron stepped forward and began to hand something to each of them. Draco assumed it was the Honeyduke’s chocolate that he’d given him a hard time about earlier. “Stick this into your robes in case we need it – and if anyone runs out, speak up. We need to make sure that each of us has an adequate amount the entire time we’re in there.”
He noticed how roughly Ron stuffed the chocolate into his hands, but Draco said nothing. He knew he deserved this treatment for being so cynical toward Ron in the candy store.
Much to his dismay, Draco heard Potter’s voice chime in once the chocolate had been divvied out. “Can everyone conjure a Patronus?”
A short pause followed before Ron and Hermione replied with a short, “yes.” Pansy and Blaise were somewhat hesitant to answer. “We managed a bit of one at the end of spring term,” said Pansy, uncertainly. “Do you think we’ll need to use it?”
“If Voldemort has dementors in there, yes I do,” said Harry. “I just want to know where everyone stands on conjuring one. If you can’t perform one, those of us who can need to know so that we can protect the others. Malfoy?”
Draco hung his head a bit. He felt certain that the good feelings he had for Ginny would let him cast the perfect Patronus…but what if he couldn’t? What if something had happened to her and all of those good feelings died right along with her? He’d let the dementors take him before he’d ever return to the life he knew before she’d stepped into his. He shook the thoughts from his head, knowing where this was going to take him, and tried to give a positive answer.
“Yeah. I know I can conjure one.”
Harry made a noise that plainly said Draco’s answer had left him undecided. “Are you sure?”
Draco was furious at Harry’s questioning. “What do you want from me, Potter? You asked if I could conjure one and I said I could. Stop playing the hero and let me take care of myself.”
Pansy was at his shoulder for the second time that night. “You’ve made it this far without cursing each other so I suggest you get your anger under control and concentrate on what we’re doing. We all need to be honest with our abilities. Harry, Draco told you he could conjure one so stop questioning him. Draco, for once stop letting him get to you and let’s get going, okay?”
Draco nodded then wondered if anyone could even see his transparent head moving before he made up his mind to speak. “Alright, let’s go.” Draco turned to Blinka, who had almost been forgotten. “Blinka, I need you to return to the Manor.”
“But Master, sir – Blinka can help you-“
“No. I need you to return to the Manor and take care of Mother in case she returns. You’ve gotten us this far and your place is there.”
The house-elf looked at her feet and mumbled a soft “Yes, Master,” and disappeared with a “pop.”
Draco actually felt remorse over sending her away, but knew that Blinka would be an asset to his mother should Narcissa return to the Manor in his absence.
Once Blinka had Disapparated, Hermione moved forward to lead the way and for once Draco didn’t object. He was a big enough person to admit that she’d be the one getting them inside and kept his mouth shut.
They ran across the lawn, hiding in the shadows of the oak trees as they went, until they finally reached the edge of the old house.
“Well,” whispered Draco. “Got any ideas for getting us inside, Granger?”
“I don’t think getting in will be the problem,” said Hermione. “Leaving, however…” and her voice trailed off. They all knew what she was getting at.
“We can’t…we can’t just walk right in the front door though, can we?” A frightened Pansy questioned Hermione.
“No.” Hermione studied the doorknob from a distance, narrowing her eyes all the while. “To the back - I have an idea.”
They followed her around to the back of the house, careful not to make a sound, until they reached a tiny flight of steps leading down to a small door. She stood near the top and studied this door in much the same manner as she had the front.
“This one.” Hermione stepped softly down the flight of steps, flattening herself against the wall due to the lack of space. A large person would’ve had difficulty getting down here. “I think this is the entrance the Death Eaters use.”
She sounded quite confident so despite Draco’s hesitation he said nothing.
Hermione removed her wand from her robe and took a long breath as she closed her eyes. Draco had no idea what she was about to do until he heard the words “Morsmordre” softly leave her lips as she pointed her wand directly at the doorknob.
He gasped as a tiny dark mark formed in the air just above the doorknob and the door swung itself open. Hermione spun on her heel and motioned for them to follow her inside just as Draco stepped up and grabbed her shoulder.
“Wait, Granger.” He lowered his voice. “Let me go in first.”
Hermione hesitated and seemed to understand, stepping aside to let Draco in front of her as she nodded her head in response.
Draco’s robes brushed past Hermione as he walked into the darkness of the manor, his heart beating wildly at what he feared would be inside.
Chapter 28 – A Missing Narcissa
Having searched the entire house, Draco stepped out onto the front steps and summoned the group into the foyer. His fears were well-founded; his mother was missing and he had no idea where to start looking for her. Not only was he concerned for her safety - she was the only key to finding Ginny. He felt completely lost and helpless inside.
After hearing Draco’s announcement that his mother was missing, no one knew quite what to say or do and a silence fell over them. Hermione was the first to break it.
“I’m reluctant to say this, but you do have house-elves, correct?”
Draco nodded. He couldn’t seem to get his brain to form a logical thought and Hermione’s suggestion seemed so simple that it aggravated the hell out of him. He didn’t trust himself to speak without snapping at Hermione, so Draco just inclined his head in assent. He knew he should talk to Blinka rather than get worked up over the matter and with that thought immediately walked through the dining room and into the kitchen, leaving the others to await his return.
Blinka’s room ran adjacent to the pantry off to the side of the fireplace. Draco had never been in here before, but knew where each of the house-elves slept. Once he approached the small door to her room he rapped softly so as not to startle her. After receiving no response, he gently opened the door and peeked in to see a sleeping Blinka wrapped in a sheet on her tiny bed.
“Blinka.” Draco whispered, trying not to frighten the elf. When she didn’t move he took a more drastic approach and poked her with his wand. “Blinka you need to wake up – this is important.”
The elf jumped at the poke of Draco’s wand and shot up in bed to stare him in the face. She shrieked and pulled the sheet up to her neck, looking quite scared.
“M-master? Is it you?”
Draco gave her a questioning look and nodded his head. “Who else would it be? What’s the matter with you, Blinka - and where’s Mother? I’ve looked all over the Manor and can’t find her. Dobby said that she wasn’t here last night, either. Did Father come? Are they with the Dark…are they with Voldemort?
Blinka gradually shook her head no as if she were denying him an answer. Draco was getting angrier by the second yet resisted the urge to reach out and shake her.
He tried to slow his heart rate and spoke calmly. “You have no idea where she is?”
Blinka stood from the bed and held a hand out to Draco. “Blinka…Blinka needs to show Master something. Will he come with me?”
Draco was skeptical yet extended his hand out toward Blinka’s. With a tiny “pop” they were gone from her quarters and Draco found himself standing in the middle of his father’s study; the picture of Salazaar Slytherin staring down at them. Blinka walked swiftly to the dark green serpent that sat on the fireplace mantel and gave it a small tap with her hand. The mantel swung inward and let Draco and Blinka crawl through the crevice into the drafty secret room. The hair on the back of Draco’s neck began to stand and he feared what he was about to find. Hesitantly, he raised his wand and uttered “Lumos,” waiting for some appalling scene to unfold before him. What he didn’t expect to find, however, was an old gray-haired woman lying in a heap on the stone floor. Her hands were bound behind her and she appeared to be sleeping.
Draco’s skin suddenly broke out in goose-bumps and he had an odd feeling about all of this. He knew he should check the woman to make sure that she was really sleeping, but he was quite uneasy about doing so. Why would she be here? And tied up? Casting his fears aside, Draco stooped down to her level and put a finger out to check her pulse – sighing with relief at the feel of a heartbeat.
He craned his neck around to look at Blinka. “Explain, Blinka. Who is she? What’s she doing in here?”
Blinka’s head dropped slightly. “It’s Miss Nadella, sir. Mistress brought her here, Master Draco.”
“Nadella? Nadella who--?” Draco’s voice trailed off as a series of flashbacks ran through his brain. He remembered a woman named Nadella from his early childhood who would occasionally accompany the other Death Eaters to the Manor to visit with his father. Her forearm never held the mark of the Dark Lord, yet she was always a supporter and kept his father in the loop.
Draco stood and stared down at the woman again, clearly confused at the entire situation. “You haven’t answered the rest of my questions, Blinka. What is she doing tied up and why did Mother bring her here?”
“Blinka doesn’t know, sir. Blinka only knows that Mistress brought her here while Mistress takes care of a few things.”
“What things?” Draco’s patience had all but worn thin and he could feel the anger bubbling up inside. “You’re going to take me to her right now, do you understand? Enough of this rubbish of keeping me in the dark.”
“But Master, sir – Blinka doesn’t know what the Mistress is up to or Blinka would have sent a message with Dobby. Master must believe Blinka for she is worried about the Mistress.”
Draco inhaled a deep breath and stared into her eyes. “But you know where she is, don’t you?”
Blinka nodded her head slightly and said, “But Mistress gave Blinka a direct order to—“
“I DON’T CARE WHAT MOTHER TOLD YOU!” Draco shouted with all of his might. “You are going to take me to her, do you understand?”
Blinka’s eyes filled with tears and she nodded her head again. “Yes, Master. Blinka can take Master Draco sir to his mother.”
Draco gave her a nudge toward the entrance to the tiny room and Blinka walked out into his father’s study once more. She turned and held out her hand to him.
“Wait.” Draco remembered the others. “We need to go to the foyer first.”
Blinka’s befuddled expression was evident, but she avoided crossing Draco a second time. “Yes, Master,” was all that the house-elf could utter before she grasped his hand again and Apparated into the midst of five other students.
“What took you so long?” Ron looked quite put-out and was all but tapping his foot in nervous anticipation.
Draco glared at him, but refrained from snapping Ron’s head off. Instead, his retort was short and to the point. “Shut your face, Weasley. Blinka’s taking us to my mother, so everyone join hands and we can get the bloody hell out of here.”
Without a word, the group grasped each other’s hands and waited for the inevitable. They swallowed hard, each fully aware of Narcissa’s possible location, yet quite anxious to find Ginny and bring her home safely.
Within seconds they were back in darkness, standing on the edge of an overgrown lawn beneath a shelter of trees. The clouds were thick above their heads, hiding the abundance of moonlight that was present in the sky the night before. They each held their breath at the site of an old manor, dark and dreary, lying before them on the other side of the lawn. As uninviting as it was, they knew they had to go there.
One by one, Draco looked into the eyes of the others. “Well, it’s time.”
They nodded their heads, but said nothing. It seemed as though none of them really knew what to do first. They couldn’t just storm into the place. For starters, the spells and enchantments protecting the perimeter were sure to be more than they bargained for. Draco was silently hoping that Granger had some idea of how to get them inside. He’d given up cursing the Mudblood over her confounded intelligence and accepted the fact that all six of them wouldn’t be here without her help.
As if his very thought was her cue, she walked forward to Ron and, touching her wand to his head, spoke a word that Draco couldn’t hear. He noticed Weasley give a slight shiver and then his body began to blend into the background. Hermione repeated the same gesture to Harry, then Pansy and Blaise. Each reacted in the same manner as Ron. He could see the outlines of their bodies, but they appeared almost transparent - a three-dimensional transparency if that was at all possible. Draco was awestruck and, because he was busy staring at the others, didn’t see Hermione approach him, yet just as her wand neared the tip of his head he grabbed her wrist.
“What are you doing, Granger?”
“It’s a disillusionment charm,” said Hermione. “It’s not full proof by any means, but it should give us the coverage we need to at least get up close to the manor without being detected. Our bodies will take on the appearance of anything behind us so that we’ll camouflage ourselves with the surroundings. I’m sure Voldemort will have anti-disillusionment charms cast within the manor, but it looks as though it’s going to work while we’re out here on the lawn.” She gave a tiny smile and raised her eyebrows cautiously as if asking to proceed.
Draco nodded his head slowly and, as she lifted her wand to his head again, he stopped her a second time. “Thanks, Granger” he said, rather gruffly.
She blinked, looking a bit taken aback at his good manners, but continued on with the charm. Draco immediately felt a cold chill running down his spine as though an egg had been dropped on his head and was oozing into his hair, under his robes and down the length of his body. Once he adjusted to the feeling he noticed that Hermione was now transparent like the rest of them.
“This is barking mad.” Blaise was waving his hand in front of his face, fascinated by his appearance. “Brilliant, mind you…but barking mad just the same.”
“Here.” Ron stepped forward and began to hand something to each of them. Draco assumed it was the Honeyduke’s chocolate that he’d given him a hard time about earlier. “Stick this into your robes in case we need it – and if anyone runs out, speak up. We need to make sure that each of us has an adequate amount the entire time we’re in there.”
He noticed how roughly Ron stuffed the chocolate into his hands, but Draco said nothing. He knew he deserved this treatment for being so cynical toward Ron in the candy store.
Much to his dismay, Draco heard Potter’s voice chime in once the chocolate had been divvied out. “Can everyone conjure a Patronus?”
A short pause followed before Ron and Hermione replied with a short, “yes.” Pansy and Blaise were somewhat hesitant to answer. “We managed a bit of one at the end of spring term,” said Pansy, uncertainly. “Do you think we’ll need to use it?”
“If Voldemort has dementors in there, yes I do,” said Harry. “I just want to know where everyone stands on conjuring one. If you can’t perform one, those of us who can need to know so that we can protect the others. Malfoy?”
Draco hung his head a bit. He felt certain that the good feelings he had for Ginny would let him cast the perfect Patronus…but what if he couldn’t? What if something had happened to her and all of those good feelings died right along with her? He’d let the dementors take him before he’d ever return to the life he knew before she’d stepped into his. He shook the thoughts from his head, knowing where this was going to take him, and tried to give a positive answer.
“Yeah. I know I can conjure one.”
Harry made a noise that plainly said Draco’s answer had left him undecided. “Are you sure?”
Draco was furious at Harry’s questioning. “What do you want from me, Potter? You asked if I could conjure one and I said I could. Stop playing the hero and let me take care of myself.”
Pansy was at his shoulder for the second time that night. “You’ve made it this far without cursing each other so I suggest you get your anger under control and concentrate on what we’re doing. We all need to be honest with our abilities. Harry, Draco told you he could conjure one so stop questioning him. Draco, for once stop letting him get to you and let’s get going, okay?”
Draco nodded then wondered if anyone could even see his transparent head moving before he made up his mind to speak. “Alright, let’s go.” Draco turned to Blinka, who had almost been forgotten. “Blinka, I need you to return to the Manor.”
“But Master, sir – Blinka can help you-“
“No. I need you to return to the Manor and take care of Mother in case she returns. You’ve gotten us this far and your place is there.”
The house-elf looked at her feet and mumbled a soft “Yes, Master,” and disappeared with a “pop.”
Draco actually felt remorse over sending her away, but knew that Blinka would be an asset to his mother should Narcissa return to the Manor in his absence.
Once Blinka had Disapparated, Hermione moved forward to lead the way and for once Draco didn’t object. He was a big enough person to admit that she’d be the one getting them inside and kept his mouth shut.
They ran across the lawn, hiding in the shadows of the oak trees as they went, until they finally reached the edge of the old house.
“Well,” whispered Draco. “Got any ideas for getting us inside, Granger?”
“I don’t think getting in will be the problem,” said Hermione. “Leaving, however…” and her voice trailed off. They all knew what she was getting at.
“We can’t…we can’t just walk right in the front door though, can we?” A frightened Pansy questioned Hermione.
“No.” Hermione studied the doorknob from a distance, narrowing her eyes all the while. “To the back - I have an idea.”
They followed her around to the back of the house, careful not to make a sound, until they reached a tiny flight of steps leading down to a small door. She stood near the top and studied this door in much the same manner as she had the front.
“This one.” Hermione stepped softly down the flight of steps, flattening herself against the wall due to the lack of space. A large person would’ve had difficulty getting down here. “I think this is the entrance the Death Eaters use.”
She sounded quite confident so despite Draco’s hesitation he said nothing.
Hermione removed her wand from her robe and took a long breath as she closed her eyes. Draco had no idea what she was about to do until he heard the words “Morsmordre” softly leave her lips as she pointed her wand directly at the doorknob.
He gasped as a tiny dark mark formed in the air just above the doorknob and the door swung itself open. Hermione spun on her heel and motioned for them to follow her inside just as Draco stepped up and grabbed her shoulder.
“Wait, Granger.” He lowered his voice. “Let me go in first.”
Hermione hesitated and seemed to understand, stepping aside to let Draco in front of her as she nodded her head in response.
Draco’s robes brushed past Hermione as he walked into the darkness of the manor, his heart beating wildly at what he feared would be inside.
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