Tidy Time

Tidy Time

Part 1

Amends

"So, Mrs. Tonks..."

"Andromeda, Harry, and I keep telling you to call me Andy. All my friends do."

"So...erm...Andy," said Harry, blushing a little, "I want to hand over Grimmauld to Teddy when he comes of age, but before then I'd like to live there, and that means I need to um, well..."

"De-evil the place," she said, laughing.

"Uh, well yeah. I was trying not to say it that way, but yeah."

"You don't have to be kind, Harry. I know what my relatives were, and I know what they dabbled in. Aunt Walburga would probably have been a Death Eater if she'd been younger. As it was she loved Bella, my twisted sister," she said, shaking her head, "and Cissy. Well, she kept her in the will at least, and on the wall."

"I'm glad you mentioned your sister; there's something I've been meaning to tell you."

"You don't have to, Harry; Luna already has. I know Cissy helped you. I still... you just don't know what it's like to be treated like a pariah in your own family."

Harry sat and smiled at her. After a few moments it dawned on her, and she buried her face in her hands.

"Oh Merlin, did I really just say that. I'm sorry, Harry."

He laughed. "Don't be. We share that." He leaned forward and took her hand. "Forgiveness works both ways; I've learned a lot about that recently. My aunt cried on me for an hour after I told her I forgave her, and Dudley's even coming to my birthday party. Uncle Vernon's a lost cause, but your sister isn't. She never became a Death Eater, and after what they did to Luna, Mr. Ollivander and Hermione, she knew she couldn't support them any more either. She saved my life, Andy; she saved my life."

"You and Luna teaming up on me?" she asked.

"No. What did Luna say?"

"Oh, she's trying to persuade me to drop by Cissy's place with Teddy. She said the same thing: I should forgive her. Only it took her a bit longer to say it," she said, smiling. "I'll think about it, Harry, I really will. I'd like one of my sisters back. It's been lonely without them."

"Good. Now, back to Grimmauld. You probably know the house better than anyone still living, so I thought maybe you could help with the um, 'de-eviling.'"

She laughed. "Certainly. When do you want to do it?"

"Well, my birthday's in a few weeks, and I'd like to be moved in before then, so pretty soon."

"All right. Just let me know and we'll get a sitter for Teddy."

At that moment a wail shattered the relative calm of the Tonks's cottage. "Speak of...well he's too sweet to call a devil, our little lad. Would you like to go and get him Harry?"

Harry leapt to his feet. "I'll be right back."

He's a natural, she thought. I can't wait to see him with a bunch of little redheads of his own. At that she smiled. Molly's happy to wait though, I bet.

She was still chuckling to herself when Harry placed Teddy in her arms.

****************************

Andromeda Tonks and Luna Lovegood stood at the gates of Malfoy Manor, a small bundle squirming in Andromeda's arms.

"I owled and told her we were coming. She'll be thrilled that you brought Teddy."

"I haven't spoken to my sister in twenty-five years. The last time I saw her was when Draco was born, and she wouldn't even speak to me. When I married Ted they rejected me."

"She's very sorry about that."

"She should be."

"Do you need to punish her for it still?" Luna asked, as if it were a perfectly normal question.

Andromeda smiled. "No, I don't need to, but I want to. I suppose I shouldn't."

"No, I don't think that would be helpful to anyone. Shall we?"

As Luna touched the gates, the face in the iron work opened its eyes and spoke. "You are expected. Welcome to Malfoy Manor." At that, the gates parted and swung open.

"Always the flair for the dramatic; Cissy hasn't changed that much."

"You'll be surprised."

They strolled up the walk, the high hedges almost blocking out the warm summer sun. When they reached the great doors of the house the left one swung open, and a nervous Draco Malfoy stepped aside to let them in.

"Good morning, um... Aunt Andromeda, Luna," he said, and cast his eyes down, unwilling to meet theirs.

Luna took Draco's hand and he looked at her. "Draco, I thought we discussed this when we talked in the great hall. I don't hold you or your family responsible for what happened to me here. You and your mother's affection for me saved me. He would have killed me long ago if it hadn't been for that."

"Yeah, well you're more forgiving than most," he said, a tear running down his cheek.

"I want to talk to you alone shortly, Draco, can we do that?" Luna asked.

"Right, yes, all right," he stammered, and turned to lead them to the great room.

"It's good to see you again, Draco," said Andromeda. "You were about the same size as Teddy here when I saw you last."

"Thank you, Aunt Andromeda. Mother has told me some of what happened. I'm sorry."

"Don't be; it wasn't your doing." She reached out and stroked her hand down the back of Draco's head. "We'll be a proper family again, you'll see."

All Draco could do was nod. The something in his throat was preventing speech.

Luna suppressed a small shiver as she walked into the room that had once been her torture chamber. Not much had changed. Her "stage" was still there, as were the sofa and chairs facing it, but something was new. A piano sat in the place where she had stood, sung, danced, and been Cruciated for the pleasure of her captors. She smiled as she looked at the piano, and then she turned to Draco.

"Do you play?" she asked.

"No, it's for father when he comes home. He plays well, according to mother. I should go and get her."

"May I?"

Draco turned to her in surprise momentarily lifted from his morose mood. "I didn't know you could play."

"You never asked," said Luna, in her matter of fact voice.

And Draco did something he hadn't done in almost four months: he laughed.

"You've got me there. Yes, please." He gestured towards the piano bench.

Luna sat at the piano. Andromeda took up a seat on the couch, and Draco left to fetch his mother. Luna loved to play. It took her back to the time her mother had taught her. Luna's mother was quite an accomplished musician; it was one of the things that her father said had attracted him to her. And that talent, along with so many other things, had been passed to Luna. Ravenclaw to the core, Luna had spent many long hours honing her skills. Not many had heard her play, but those that had had been amazed. She raised the lid, took a deep breath, and began a flawless rendition of Clair de Lune. Luna regarded this piece by Debussy as her theme, and she knew it well.

Andromeda was transfixed. She was continually surprised by this waif, a magical creature among magical creatures. Teddy smiled and gurgled in her arms as the music lilted through the room. Luna drifted on the wings of the melody. She had achieved that level of skill that most players dream of, where the music flows forth, and the player is just the conduit.

Narcissa Malfoy and her son stood in the doorway watching the scene. Luna's hair flowed around her as she swayed and with the emotion of the piece, and when she felt the presence of Narcissa and Draco she began to weave a very subtle magic. Wordlessly and wandlessly she poured love and harmony into the piano, the instrument acting as her tool. The music carried the magic to the listeners and they were gently lulled into a feeling of tranquility and happiness. Teddy giggled and cooed, Andromeda let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, and Narcissa looked at her estranged sister and felt a burst of love and hope she hadn't dared to let herself feel for a very long time.

As Luna finished the last phase, and the notes faded, Draco spoke. "You are remarkable. No wonder you were in Ravenclaw."

"My mum was better, but I try." She rose from the piano and walked to Andromeda's side. "Mrs. Malfoy, I think there's someone here you'd like to meet." She helped Andromeda to her feet and gently took Teddy. Together they approached Draco and Narcissa. "This is Theodore Lupin." She held Teddy to face his aunt.

"He's beautiful," she said, and tears crept from the corners of her eyes. Then she looked at her sister and the dam broke. She stood shuddering and weeping in front of Andromeda not daring to look back up at her until her sister drew her into a fierce hug.

Andy... I'm so, so sorry," she said, as she cried on her sister's shoulder.

"We'll be in the kitchen," Luna said, and she nodded to Draco to follow.

*********************

"I would imagine they'll be awhile," Luna told Draco as they sat at the large table in the kitchen. Luna remembered this room well: Mrs. Malfoy would bring her here after her "performances" to clean and heal her. It was the only place in the whole of the house she had felt remotely safe, and it was a comfort to her now.

"So, this is my nephew. I've never really had much to do with babies. They seem a lot of work."

"Oh, not as much as you might believe," said Luna. The initial preparation can be a bit tiring. You have to cast all the spells to prevent Gallingals attaching themselves to the crib, and Breathweasers from swimming around the room." At Draco's questioning look she smiled. "Gallingals bore into the wood of cribs, and they make a high pitched buzzing only babies can hear. Lots of Muggles think they have a colicky baby when all they really have is Gallingals. Breathweasers are the reason many people don't like cats near babies. They're an invisible creature much like a sprite. They travel on the backs of cats, and once inside a house, if they find a baby, they hover over it and suck its breath while it sleeps. And that's not even mentioning the protective enchantments that ward off the more normal things like Nargals and Wrackspurts. But once that's done there's just the changing, the feeding, the bathing and the singing." She smiled coyly at Draco and began a wizarding lullaby:

My young wizard nods his head

My young wizard is off to bed

He'll fly to the moon in a dream tonight

His pillow a magic carpet for flight

Sleep now my boy

Sleep quiet sleep long

Sleep while your mother

Sings you this song

A wand you'll have when eleven you reach

Friends and family to you magic they'll teach

And when you've grown and have children fair

You'll sing this song and stroke their hair

Sleep now my boy

Sleep quiet sleep long

Sleep while your mother

Sings you this song

While she sang, she gently rocked Teddy, and by the time she had finished he was sound asleep.

"You make it look easy. You'll be a great mother, Luna."

"And you'll be a good father Draco. Oh, don't look surprised. You've learned a lot these last few years. Granted it was mostly how not to parent, but those are important lessons too. You'll do quite well, I know these things."

"Well, I've learned not to argue with you, so I'll just trust you're right."

"Excellent thinking, and on that," - she reached across the table and grasped Draco's hand - "you are forgiven. Totally and completely, by everyone, or at least everyone that counts, with one possible exception."

"Potter?"

"No, Harry holds no grudges against anyone. He should be furious with my father: I was. But he laughed and volunteered to help rebuild our house when I tried to apologize for my dad."

"Granger? Weasley?"

"No, Draco. You. You need to forgive yourself. Until you do you'll live only a half life of regret. Trust me; I know what it's like to live in a shell, shutting out the world. It's very lonely."

"I'm so sorry, Luna. We were horrid to you, and you were so... above us. You were never anything but polite and respectful, even when my bat-shit aunt was torturing you, when I was torturing you. Why don't you hate me?"

"What purpose would my hating you serve? It's not logical, or warranted. You did what you were made to do. I know you didn't enjoy it, except for the seeing me naked part, and even then you weren't very happy."

Draco blushed brightly. "I... I just."

"It's all right, Draco. The Dark Lord made you Imperious me that night. He made you force me to take my clothes off. That was to torture you, not me, and it worked, didn't it?

"Yes. I hated doing that. I felt... I felt like I was raping you." Several tears ran down his face.

"It's all right, Draco, I know you're not a pervert, or at least no more perverted than any other eighteen year old boy, and I am not ashamed of my body. I'm told it's quite lovely actually."

Draco laughed through his tears, "Yes, you are quite lovely. Who's the lucky bloke? I'm jealous. Longbottom, right?"

"Why is it everyone assumed I'd be dating Neville? I quite like Neville, but no. It's Dean Thomas." She smiled radiantly.

"That's interesting. You're an unlikely pair. He's lucky."

"Yes, he is, and so am I."