Visiting Malfoy Manor

Visiting Malfoy Manor

She looked at him, her gaze icy and disparaging as he entered her house, really her mansion. Harry knew that she hated him being here, and bringing all these Aurors with him.

That had been the first time, he had entered Malfoy Manor, the home of his arch rival of his school days. Mrs Malfoy, cold and retreating had left them. Informed that if they broke anything...

The consequences would be dire. Somehow, all the Aurors, whether green soldiers or battle hardened veterans had believed her. They had all taken extra care with the Manor and it's objects.

Harry had been tasked with searching Malfoy Manor. Again. Dark Arts goods and books had been found all over the Manor, so Moody went, in a manic voice already assured of Malfoy guilt, there had to be more.

It had started that way really. The first time Harry had really searched Malfoy Manor, the whole haul had been massive. Harry had been surprised by the sheer quantity. Moody's magical eye had been spinning wildly, he recalled. He had been eager, so young, to challenge the god given right that the Malfoys seemed to think they possessed, to do whatever they wished, whenever.

He even considered the second time necessary through they found just two borderline Dark Arts books stashed in the Hertzbergung Parlour and a bottle of dragon blood in the attic. Moody had cackled over that and had insisted on another search.

The third time, it had been half a dozen, not the two score or so Aurors who had swarmed over the Manor and the it's grounds for a week and day. Mrs Malfoy, other than a brief welcome had remained locked and warded in a chamber. Her eyes had already hardened and her hands seemed to be shaking. Nothing had been found. Malfoy Manor had still been watched then.

Three visits ago she had invited Harry for a 'walk'. He had accepted, throwing glances at the two Aurors that had been accompanying him this time. She had taken him a small sitting room, showing him to a green velvet two seater. It had been very hard, Harry had remembered. There she had opened a leather bound book. In was huge in her lap, her pale robe squashed and crumpled. Her eyes had been red, her fingers shaking as she turned a page.

This had been the first time Harry had see her as a person. It held photos. Of Draco Malfoy. Her fingers had tenderly felt photo Draco's baby cheeks, as the baby laughed and watched a tall dark shadow in the distance unfurl a colourful kite.

Malfoy had been missing for three years. Half way through seventh year he had disappeared. There were supposed to be sighting in Europe. Harry told her so. Mrs Malfoy had laughed, quietly and mirthless. Harry knew at once she felt she would not see her son again. Secretly he felt that was true. Draco Malfoy had been elusive so far, Harry didn't think his Mother would bring him back to England.

Mrs Malfoy smiled again. Harry didn't think he would every get over the shock of seeing a naked Draco, wearing only his mother's heels.

This time, he visited, by himself. He had lost count of the number of times he had seen the grand doors of Malfoy Manor open, to reveal a dwarfed House Elf, bowing and gesturing for him to enter the great receiving hall.

This time, as he arrives all alone, Mrs Malfoy had been waiting for him in the receiving hall. She smiles tenderly, as she kisses him. Harry finds that to his great shock, that her lips really were soft.

She laughs self consciously as she pulls away. Her hands smoothing down her emerald robes as she looks away, a light blush covering her high cheekbones. In her eyes there remains some of the old Narcissa, a haughty creature.

In a spur of the moment, Harry buries his face in her neck. She smells of powder and dried roses and lavender. As he looks up, she raises an eyebrow, highlighting the strands of gray in her hair.

Narcissa takes him to that small sitting room. There is some wine and some sugary biscuits. Eagerly she grabs ones, munching down, she grins with her lips coated with sugar.

This time he kisses her, lips still glistening with sugar. Narcissa tastes sweet, but bitter at the same time. Harry didn't notice that the first time, when he kissed. Narcissa seems to taste different every time he tastes her wares.

With a gracious, grand gesture she pours him a glass of wine. She watches him drink, her eyes dark and heavy. Hr lower lips droops slightly, then pulls into a large smile.

Smiling back at her, Harry finds it hard to breathe. Falling to his knees, as Narcissa Malfoy smiles her sweet, sickly and sad smile down of him.

She places a hand on his shoulder, and kneels beside him. Regrets flickers across her face as she watches in choke and gasp in the small sitting room of Malfoy Manor.

Through his light headedness, Harry wonders if this room has a name, all the others seem to have one. He also ponders if this is the room he shall die in.

Tugging on his jaw, she opens his mouth. She kisses him one last time, the last remaining traces of wine clinging to her tongue. Her faces pales as she leans back, swallowing hastily.

Off in the distance he can hear shouts and yells. One of the voices sounds like Moody, another like Ron. A girl shrieks and he is reminded of Lavender and her squeals and the lavender of Narcissa's neck.

Her eyes are heavy and her breathing seems faltered, Narcissa sighs as she falls to the polished wood floors, her ear rings clinking as they make contact with the hard floor. Harry with his knees finally buckling collapses on top of her. Down below, he hears a little girl voice sigh out, heavy with longing:

"He never did like you. I - I wonder if this will bring him back?"

The world seems to be red, the walls are coated in the colour. Harry remembers, the first time he visited Malfoy Manor that Mrs Malfoy was wearing the same shade on her lips. He smiles, lips coated this time with a pale pink.