Power of the Quill

Chapter 12. Dinner at the Manor.

It was 10 am Saturday morning and both Fred and George Weasley were working hard to get their store, Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes Emporium, ready for its Grand Opening. They had hoped to be open by August 22, two weeks ago, when all the Hogwarts students were in Diagon Alley getting resupplied for the new school term. Unfortunately, their mother insisted that they both complete their N.E.W.T's exams before she would let their father cosign the lease on the store.

George was in the front of the store putting up display racks for their inventory, while Fred was in the lab making their products. "We're all out of Erumpent horn, again," Fred said, as he came out of the lab with his black leather apron and safety goggles still on.

"How can that be?" George asked. "I just bought a new bag last week."

"I used a lot to make the exploding quills and the Ballroom Busters," Fred answered.

"That stuff costs nearly twenty Galleons a bag. Maybe we should cut back on how much we use in the Ballroom Busters," George suggested.

"We can't do that, it would ruin the effect. The gag only works if everyone in the room can hear who's farting," Fred informed his brother. "Listen mate, the only way we are going to compete with Zonko's is if our stuff is much better quality than theirs."

"I know, it's just that we're going to run out of money before we get half our inventory made. If only we didn't have to buy all these ingredients at retail instead of wholesale prices," George said, sounding frustrated.

"To get wholesale prices, we would need a Potions Maker's license. I don't think that greasy twit Snape is about to lend us his," Fred told his brother.

"We could always forge one," George said with a sinister smile.

"We haven't been in business a week yet. Isn't it a bit soon to be resorting to criminal solutions?" Fred asked with a look of concern on his face.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Besides, old Fudge is just looking for any excuse to put us out of business. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to send him one of our Portable Swamps," George said to his brother.

"What we really need is some more capital to start things up. Maybe we can ask Harry for some more money. His parents left him quite a bit in a Gringotts vault. We can make him a full partner at ten percent," Fred suggested.

"I think we should save Harry as a last resort. What we need to do is just tighten up our belts, try to save money anywhere we can. No more eating out or buying new clothes. We let mum feed and clothe us for a while," George said.

"Do think that will be enough?" Fred asked.

"No, we may have to make some pretty tough sacrifices," George told his brother.

"Like what?" Fred said, with a look of apprehension.

" Well, since we can Apparate now and we're no longer on a Quidditch team, I was thinking that we could sell all our Quidditch gear and brooms," George recommended.

"What? You can't be serious?" Fred asked in disbelief.

"I am serious. It's either that or we both go get real jobs," George stated.

"You're probably right, I just didn't think I would have to give up so much for our dream," Fred said with disappointment.

"Me either," George said.

"Did we just grow up a little?" Fred asked.

"Yeah, we'll have to be careful not to do that again in the future. It would be bad for business," George said with a smile.

A bell chimed twice in the front of the store letting them know that the owl post had arrived. George could see that there was a set of owls on the mail perch out front clutching a burlap bag, with the initials W.W.W.E on it, in their talons. George grabbed an empty bag and headed out front. After exchanging the bags, he came back inside the store.

"I hope there are mail orders in there. It would be nice if those flyers we put up around Hogsmeade paid off," Fred said, as his brother poured everything out of the bag onto the counter. Two packages and six letters fell out of the bag. Fred opened one of the letters and began reading it. "It's from a third- year Slytherin girl who wants a set of Extendible Ears."

"A Slytherin? Oi, looks like we have a real moral dilemma, here. How much are we getting for a set?" George asked.

"Fifteen Galleons," Fred answered.

"We'll sell her the ears, but we'll also write Ron and let him know about them and give him the girl's name," George said.

"You know, it might be a good idea to keep a list of all the things Slytherins buy from us," Fred suggested.

"Not just the Slytherins, all four Houses. A Dark wizard can come from any house, remember," George told his brother. "It could also help us figure out just what people in each house want."

They opened the rest of the letters. Four were from Slytherins wanting one kind of a prank or another. And one was from a first-year Hufflepuff boy who wanted their Skiving Snackbox Nosebleed Nougat, so that he could get out of flying lessons. Fred picked up one of the two packages and opened it. He didn't need to read the postmark to know who had sent it. The plain brown wrapping paper and cheap twine was his family's trademark. "Mum sent us some sweetloaf," Fred told his brother.

"Save me a slice,' George said, as he looked at the other package. "Fred, I think we have a problem here, mate," he said, as he gentle set the package back down on the counter.

"What is it?" Fred asked with concern.

"It's a package from Parvati Patil," George answered.

"So what, she sends you - well me - letters all the time?" Fred asked.

"It's not addressed to me. She sent it to you, Fred," George told his brother.

"You don't think she knows, do you?" Fred asked his brother, as they both continued to stare at the small blue package as if it were addressed from a Death Eater.

"She might; why else would she write you?"

"Maybe she wants some advice about you. She wants to get you a present and wrote me to find out what you might want," Fred answered.

"Why would she send a package instead of a letter?" George asked.

"I don't know. Maybe she already bought you something and sent it to me for safe-keeping," Fred said.

"Safer than at Hogwarts? Somehow I doubt that, Fred," George told his twin. Neither of them spoke for a few minutes as they studied the package. Finally George asked, "Are you going to open it?"

"Me, why do I have to open it?" Fred asked.

"Because this is your mess, not mine. You should be the one to handle this," George said.

"You were the one that always insisted that we never use our real name when setting up a prank. It's not my fault that she thought I was you. Besides, I was already going out with her sister. Things could have gotten ugly," Fred said defensively.

"So, what do you want to do, now? George asked. "Throw it out."

"No, it might be something valuable. I'll just check it with a revealing charm to make sure it's safe," Fred told his brother. He then pulled out his wand, pointed it at the package and said, "Reperi Arcanum Acutus." The package glowed green for a brief second and - "BOOM!"

Instantly, the entire front room of their store was covered in a grayish, light-brown liquid. The twins continued to stand where they were before the package exploded, just dripping with the horrible smelling goo. Both started to spit the foul-tasting liquid out of their mouths. Wiping his eyes with the palm of his hand, George said, "Yep, she definitely knows."

Still spitting, Fred took off his safety goggles and asked, "What do you think - horse, cow or dog?"

"None of 'em," George answered. "It's pig shit."

Fred just continued to stare at the counter where the small blue package had been. Finally, he said, " That was a really nice design. What do you think, a Spanish Party Pooper?"

"No, not a Pooper," George said. "Just look around. See how everything thing is so well-covered, without any gaps. And there was almost no concussion, at all. That was a Swedish Graffiti Bomb. Just empty out the multi-colored pellets and replace them with liquid pig shit."

"Swedish Graffiti Bomb, you say? That's pretty sophisticated stuff for Parvati. And just how did she know what revealing charm I would use to trigger it?" Fred asked his brother.

"I would say she had some help in this little endeavor," George told his brother, as he took one of his fingers and tried to clean out his left ear. "It would have to be someone that knows you well enough to predict what charm you would use, and someone that knows a lot about practical jokes as well."

"I hate to say it' brother, but it sounds like one of our own has turned against us," Fred said to his twin.

"Which one do you think it was? Our charming little brother or our darling little sister?" George asked.

"Ron knows better," Fred stated with assurance.

"I agree. Ginny was also, probably, the one to spill the beans about you in the first place," George said.

"It would seem that our dear little sister requires a lesson in family loyalty," Fred said. "She's fifteen now and is probably trying to attract the attentions of possible new boyfriends. I think a severe case of dragon fleas might put a damper on her social life, don't you?" Fred asked his brother.

"No, no, Fred. You're going about it all wrong," George said, with a wicked smile on his face. "As her older brothers, it is our responsibility to help out our darling little sister whenever we can. We should make sure that ever boy at Hogwarts knows just how beautiful our precious baby sister is."

Both twins now had literal shit-eating grins on their faces.

.........................................................................................................

Hermione entered the Great Hall for lunch just after her parents left Hogwarts to catch the two o'clock train back to King's Cross Station. Luckily for her, Mrs. Weasley had Flooed to the Burrow with Pansy, earlier. She didn't want her parents to know anything about what had happened to Pansy. She knew if the words 'rape' and 'Muggle-born' were used in the same sentence around her mum and dad, she would end up on a flight out of the county before sundown, no matter whom the Ministry threatened to arrest.

Hermione took her seat at the Gryffindor table next to Ginny and across from Harry and Ron.

"How did the meeting between your parents and Professor Snape go?" Harry asked, before she could even get a single piece of food on her plate.

"About as bad as things could have possibly gone without someone actually getting killed," she answered despondently.

"What happened?" Ginny asked with a bit too much enthusiasm.

"First, Professor Dumbledore made the introductions and then he explained why I have to marry Snape. When he was done, he took both Snape's and my wand, then left the room," Hermione said.

"Why did he take your wands?" Ron asked.

"He thought that we might try to hex one another. I still don't know if it was a good or bad thing to do," she answered.

"What happened after Dumbledore left?" Ginny asked.

"My dad and mum asked a couple of questions; Snape answered. Then my dad insulted Snape. Snape then insulted my dad. Snape then insulted me. Finally, my dad threatened Snape. Snape said something very sick about our wedding night and then my dad punched him in the face," Hermione said in a very monotone voice.

"YOUR DAD PUNCHED OUT PROFESSOR SNAPE!" Harry shouted gleefully, with a huge smile on his face. Most of the Hall went silent at hearing what he had said.

"I would have given anything to have seen that," Ron joyfully said, as a giant smile appeared on his face as well. "I bet old Snape went down with a single blow."

"No Ron. Unfortunately for both my mum and dad, he can really take a punch," Hermione told him.

"Who won then?" Ginny asked. She, Harry, and Ron all leaned in, with great anticipation, to hear what Hermione had to say.

"At first my dad was winning, even though Snape had gotten in a few good hits. But once my dad accidentally punched my mum in the eye, Snape was able to get the upper hand. He's actually a lot stronger than he looks. He was able to pick my dad up, flip him upside down, and shake him until all the loose change fell out his pockets," Hermione told them.

"Your dad accidentally punched your mum?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, but only after Snape had punched her first," she answered.

"Snape punched your mum? What a bastard!" Ron said heatedly.

"No. Snape also punched my mum by accident. She tried to break them up and was too close to the action," Hermione explained.

"She got punched accidentally in the face twice, your poor mum," Ginny said sympathetically.

"Don't worry about my mum, Gin. She got her licks in as well. When Snape had my dad hanging upside down like a rag-doll, she jumped on his back and started beating him in the head with her purse," she told Ginny.

"Oh my gods. I can't believe we missed this," Ron said in disappointment. "Snape got beat-up by a couple of Muggles and we weren't there to see it."

"Ron, both my parents got beat-up as well," Hermione said, sounding a little annoyed.

"Hermione, what were you doing while this fight was going on?" Ginny asked.

"Just standing there, mostly. It was like witnessing a car accident, I couldn't help but watch and see what would happen next," Hermione answered. "I just stood there like a zombie until Professor Dumbledore came in and broke it up."

"What did Dumbledore have to say about your parents fighting Professor Snape?" Harry asked.

"He didn't really say anything to me or my mum. He just sent us to see Madam Pomfrey while he talked with Snape and my dad," Hermione answered.

"Do you know what Dumbledore said to your dad?" Ron asked.

"No. He came to the hospital wing about a half hour later. He was still mad, but he didn't say anything else about me getting married to Snape," Hermione said.

"I still can't believe you have to marry Snape. The greasy bat doesn't deserve such luck," Ron angrily said. After hearing her brother's words, Ginny gave Hermione a little knowing smile.

"You know, with my own marriage contract on my mind, I haven't really thought about you and Snape that much. You're actually going to be Mrs. Snape in less than a month," Harry said in disbelief.

"I'm keeping my name. The first person to call me Mrs. Snape will be hit with an Unforgivable," Hermione warned in all seriousness.

"It just seems like there is something we should be able to do," Harry said in frustration. "It would be bad enough if only one of us had to go through this - but all three? This is truly a nightmare."

"I think that was the whole point, Harry," Hermione told him. "One marriage contract we might have been able to fight. But there's no way we could fight all three. I think Fudge expects at least one of us to refuse or runaway."

"Do you really trust Snape enough to marry him?" Ron asked.

"Tell you the truth, Ron. I really don't know. Professor Dumbledore and most of the people in the Order seem to trust him. But every time I'm in a room with Snape, I feel like reaching for my wand," Hermione said.

"When are you getting married? Have you decided on a date?" Ginny asked.

"October first. That's what me and my mum decided on," Hermione told her.

"Then you have about three weeks to learn as much as you can about Snape," Ginny suggested.

"That's a lot easier said than done, Ginny. His bio in the contract doesn't really tell me much more than when his birthday is and what his O.W.L.'s scores were. Mine were two points higher by the way," Hermione proudly said. "What I need to do is find someone that knows Snape really well and isn't afraid to talk about him."

"That's easy," Ron said. "Just ask Hagrid. He's known Snape since his first year at Hogwarts." Hermione had to admit it; Ron had a very good idea.

"You're right Ron. I will go speak to Hagrid about Snape. I wager there's all sorts of things he knows about him that that sarcastic bastard doesn't want me to know," Hermione cunningly said.

"Speaking of our betrotheds, how did things go with you and Pansy in the hospital wing today, Ron?" Harry asked.

"Ok I guess, but I had trouble recognizing her at first. She looks so different, she looks so..so..."

"Lost," Hermione said, interrupting Ron.

"Yeah, I guess that's it," Ron nodded in agreement.

"Did you speak with her?" Hermione asked.

"No. I didn't know what to say," Ron told her.

"How about - I'm sorry for what happened to you, Pansy, and I'll make sure nothing like that ever happens to you again," Hermione said in irritation.

"Wow, that really would have been a good thing to say," Ron admitted. "Mum said that once she thinks Pansy is ready to talk about the wedding, she'll owl me to come home for a couple of days. I'll tell her what you said, then."

"I can't believe I'm sitting here feeling sorry for Pansy Parkinson, sorry that she has to marry a prat like you," Ginny angrily said to her brother. Ron just glared in return.

"Well, at least we don't have to worry about her being a Slytherin, anymore," Harry said. "We just have to worry about the hornet's nest we're heading into tonight."

"Just how are we getting to Black Manor?" Hermione asked.

"Dumbledore is letting us Floo from his office to the Leaky Cauldron. From there, Tonks and Emmeline Vance will escort us to the Manor," Harry informed them.

"Are we having dinner? Do you know what we are suppose to wear?" Hermione asked.

"The invitation only said to bring two friends and show up at eight o'clock," Harry answered.

"I think we should wear whatever we can run the fastest in," Ron suggested. "And I don't plan to eat anything that the former Mrs. Malfoy might serve up."

"Ron is probably right," Harry said. "We should dress for a fight and eat dinner before we go."

Hermione knew that Harry was trying to sound brave. But she could tell that he was even more nervous than she had been about her parents' meeting with Snape.

............................................................................................................

At ten minutes to eight, there was a loud BANG and the Knight Bus came to a screeching halt next to a set of large wrought iron gates in the countryside just north of London. Everyone quickly filed out of the purple beast. Harry, who had ridden the Knight Bus before, was relatively unaffected by the jarring trip. But both Hermione and the stately Mrs. Vance were doubled over losing the last of their dinners.

"Catch ya around, 'arry," Stan the conductor said, as he hopped back onto the bus, and with another BANG it was gone.

"That infernal machine is truly a menace," Mrs. Vance said, as she wiped her mouth with a white silk handkerchief.

"I thought the ride was great," Tonks said with a large smile on her face.

"That's not surprising, considering the fact that you have lived the majority of your life in a constant state of unbalance," Vance disdainfully said to Tonks.

"I'm sorry, Emmeline; I thought the rough ride might actually loosen that stick up you're arse," Tonks insultingly replied to her fellow Order member. It was quite apparent to Harry that these two didn't really like each other very much.

Harry looked through the wrought iron gates at the large house that lay just beyond. It was not what he had expected. After remembering what number twelve, Grimmauld Place looked like the first time he had seen it, he was expecting some kind of dark gothic mansion that belonged in a Muggle theme park.

Black Manor was anything but gothic. It was a large, white, three-story mansion with Greek columns surrounding the entrance. A huge fountain, with the Statue of David in its center, was set in a well-groomed flower garden in front of the main entrance. Harry thought the place looked like the home of a politician or diplomat.

"This is Black Manor?" Ron asked, sounding astonished.

"Yep, the family digs," Tonks said with a smile. "Not what you expected, is it, Harry?"

"No, not really," he answered.

"I heard that it's really nice on the inside. Of course, I wouldn't know," Tonks said with a bit of resentment in her voice.

"You've never been inside?" Hermione asked.

"Nope. My mum, and me were the black sheep of the Black family. After disowning my mother, grandpa never invited us even once before he died. The place has been unplottable and locked behind a Fidelius Charm, waiting for the estate to be settled," Tonks informed everybody.

"The place looks pretty good for being empty for over sixteen years," Ron said.

"My grandmother was very compulsive about keeping everything in the house neat and orderly. She was a very different woman than Sirius's mother," Tonks said.

"Here, Mr. Potter, these are for you and your companions," Mrs. Vance said, as she pulled three wands out of her robes.

"What are these for?" Ron asked, as he took one of the wands.

"They are duplicate wands, Mr. Weasley. If, by some unfortunate accident, you are separated from your original, these will act as replacements. But be warned. They are only good for three spells, no more. They also can be used as emergency Portkeys. Simply break the wand in two and you will be instantly sent back to Hogwarts," Vance informed them.

"Hey, how come I don't have one of those?" Tonks jealously asked.

"You'll get one when you decide to grow up," Vance told her.

"You'll get one when you decide grow up," Tonks mockingly repeated, as she morphed her face into an exaggerated version of Mrs. Vance's.

"Thank you for making my point," Mrs. Vance sarcastically answered. Tonks blew a loud raspberry at her with a large forked-tongue.

"You three should be on your way," Mrs. Vance said, ignoring her junior partner's rude display.

"Aren't you coming with us?" Hermione anxiously asked.

"No, Miss Granger. If the Manor wards are anything like the ones at Grimmauld Place, they will only allow three people to enter the gates," Vance told her. "Miss Tonks and myself will remain nearby to keep an eye out for any unwanted guests."

"What if there are already unwanted guests inside?" Ron asked.

"The Order has been keeping watch on the Manor for the last couple of days, Mr. Weasley. The house isn't connected to the Floo Network, as of yet. So we are fairly certain that Miss Black is currently alone in her residence," Mrs. Vance answered.

"Harry, my mum wanted you to give this to my aunt," Tonks said, as she handed him a small black box.

"Is this what I think it is?" Harry asked.

"Yep, it sure is," Tonks answered.

"I'll make sure she gets it," Harry said, as he put the box in his pocket.

Ron reached out and took hold of the gate handle. As soon as he tried to pull on it, there were a loud ZAP and sparks flew from it. The shock knocked Ron off his feet. "Oh Merlin, that hurt," Ron irritably said, as he got back up.

"You should try reading a book from Professor Dumbledore's study," Hermione told him.

"Mr. Weasley. Perhaps it would be best if Mr. Potter were to open the gate. After all, he is the one listed on the invitation," Mrs. Vance suggested.

Nervously, Harry took hold of the handle. Holding his breath, he pulled on the gate. When it swung open without shocking him, he let out a sigh of relief. Hermione stepped through the gate, then Ron, and finally Harry.

"Be careful, Harry," Tonks shouted after them, as they made their way up the long drive.

The house had two large front doors made of black oak. Each door had a small, gold dragon's head with a ring in its mouth for a knocker. Nervously, Harry took hold of one of the knockers and lightly tapped it three times. At first, he thought he hadn't banged the knocker loud enough for anyone to hear, but within seconds the door latch clicked and one of the doors swung open.

Standing, just inside the doorway, was a very tall man dressed in white and wearing a turban. Harry thought he looked like a royal guard to a sultan's harem. "May I help you?" the man asked in a deep voice with a heavy Middle Eastern accent.

"I'm Harry Potter. Miss Black invited me and my friend to her home this evening," Harry said, with as much confidence as he could muster.

"Of course, Mr. Potter. Please, do come in," the tall man said with a slight smile. Hermione, Ron, and Harry followed him across the threshold. "May I take your coats?" the tall man asked, as he closed the door.

"No, thank you," both Harry and Ron answered. They were both wearing light jackets, while Hermione had on a cashmere cardigan. All three of them were wearing jeans and trainers, as well.

Standing in the foyer, Harry could see that Tonks was right about the interior of the manor. A large, dark wood staircase snaked its way down from the first floor to the ground floor. The main entrance had marble floors with a set of huge matching fireplaces on each side of the room. Large murals and portraits littered the walls. Antique furniture was set in front of both fireplaces. Harry thought the place would be best used as a museum rather than a home. It even had the same cold feel that the typical museum held.

Movement at the top of the stairs caught Harry's attention. She moved down the staircase towards them with such smoothness and grace, Harry thought she might be hovering just above the floor like a ghost. He was completely surprised by Narcissa's appearance when she drew near. He had seen her once before at the World Cup, two years ago, but hadn't really paid too much attention to her appearance. He only remembered the look of disdain she had on her face, at the time; apparently she wasn't a Quidditch fan.

He had expected her to look like a female version of Draco. The truth was, she looked nothing like her son. Harry still would have recognized her right away. With the exception of her blonde hair, she looked remarkably like her sister, Bellatrix. The only real difference was, she didn't have Bellatrix's hooded dark-blue eyes, instead hers were gray-blue and fathomless, the same as her cousin Sirius. She didn't possess Draco or Lucius's platinum-blond hair, either. Hers was the color of golden honey, almost seeming to radiate warmth from it. Harry realized that Flint wasn't exaggerating when he spoke about how Narcissa looked. She truly was one of the most beautiful women that Harry had ever seen. This fact did nothing to help his confidence, at present.

"Eight o'clock sharp. It's nice to see that you're so punctual, Mr. Potter," she said, as she reached the bottom of the stairs. She then looked up at the tall man and inquired, "Is the Manor still using Abdul-Majid? That won't do; he's more of a summertime doorman. I think Pierre is more suitable for autumn." With a wave of her wand, the tall man changed into a shorter five-foot ten man with a very neat goatee and short black hair wearing a dark blue suit.

"Madame, I'm at your service," the man said, with a thick French accent, as he gave her a quick bow.

"Much better," Narcissa said, as she put her wand back in her pearl-white silk robes. Harry didn't think they looked much like robes, the top was open exposing both her bare shoulders and the material was as thin as a negligee.

"All three of you chose to wear Muggle clothing. How quaint," she said with a hint of disapproval in her voice.

"I'm Harry Potter. This is Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley," Harry tried to say with authority, but Narcissa didn't seem to notice.

"I am Narcissa Black, heiress to the Noble Black bloodline," she stated proudly. "Mr. Potter, I have asked you here to discuss our upcoming nuptials."

"There are some things I wish to discuss with you, as well," Harry said, trying to make it almost sound like a threat. Once again, Narcissa didn't seem to notice.

"Very well, if you follow me, I believe the house-elves should have dinner ready to serve," Narcissa said, as she led them through a set of large doors. The dinning room was just as ornate as the lobby had been. Harry couldn't see how anyone could eat in a room with so many portraits staring at them. One large dinning table was set in the middle of the room, large enough for at least twenty guests.

There were only four chairs at the table now. Narcissa took the seat at the head of the table, while Harry took the seat at the far end. Hermione and Ron took the two middle seats just opposite each other. Narcissa rang a small bell and with a 'Pop,' a small house-elf appeared. "How can Ditty serve her mistress?" the small elf asked.

"Ditty? Oh no, that name just won't do. I'm tired of house-elf names that sound like they were taken from a nursery rhyme. From now on your name will be Olivia," she ordered.

"Yes Mistress, Ovitia likes her new name," the house-elf answered with a look of doubt on her face.

"It's Olivia, try to remember it correctly from now on," Narcissa told the small elf.

"Yes, Mistress, What can Oleevia bring you, my mistress?" the house-elf asked.

"Close enough," Narcissa told the elf. "A bottle of red wine for our guests, Olivia."

"Yes, Mistress, Oleadia will be right back," the little house-elf said, then disappeared with a soft 'Pop.'

"You'll have to forgive the help. This house didn't come with any elves. I had to purchase four new ones, this week," Narcissa explained.

"You purchased four house-elves? That's despicable!" Hermione stated in disgust.

"Isn't it though?" Narcissa said, apparently in agreement. "A house this big requires a least seven to run properly, ten would be best. Unfortunately, I'm on a bit of a budget until my finances are straightened out. Luckily, the little wretches don't actually require sleep, or nothing would get done."

Harry could tell Hermione was getting ready to explode and start throwing hexes at Miss Black. But he had questions of his own that he needed answered first. "Speaking of house-elves, I'd like to talk to you about Kreacher," Harry said in a stern voice. Narcissa just stared at Harry. He had the unpleasant feeling that she was studying him.

"Just what is it you wish to know, Mr. Potter?" she asked, sounding defiant.

"Why did you tell him to lie to me? Why did you try to get me and my friends killed?" Harry angrily demanded.

"I had no intention of getting you, or any of your friends, killed, Mr. Potter. My target at the time was someone else," she answered.

"Who?" Harry asked.

"Lucius," she stated simply.

"What? I don't understand," Harry replied with a confused look on his face. Both Hermione and Ron looked just as perplexed.

"My plan was that Lucius wouldn't survive the battle. He was always a horrendous duelist," Narcissa informed them.

"That doesn't make any sense," Hermione said. "How does sending Harry and us to face a dozen Death Eaters get your husband killed?"

"I knew that the Order would show up to rescue Mr. Potter. Lucius and the others wouldn't stand a chance against Dumbledore and his followers," Narcissa told them.

"How could you have known that?" Ron asked.

"It's quite simple, Mr. Weasley. I did not tell Lucius everything Kreacher told me. You see, his loyalties prevented him from speaking about Sirius with anyone but me. So, Lucius was never present when we spoke. For Lucius and his Master's plan to work, Mr. Potter had to be out from under the watchful eyes of Dumbledore and the Order. They thought that they had achieved this when Umbridge took over Hogwarts and both Professors McGonagall and Hagrid were driven from the school. What I knew, that they didn't, was that a member of the Order still remained at Hogwarts to keep a eye on Potter," Narcissa said, with an evil looking smile. All three of them gave each other nervous looks. Harry couldn't believe that Narcissa knew about Snape.

"Kreacher may have hated Sirius, but he still would never have directlybetray him," Harry told her.

"You're quite right, Mr. Potter, he wouldn't; not intentionally, that is. Kreacher is really very old and tends to rattle on a bit. He once mentioned that Sirius often complained about a strange creature that kept coming to the house that he wished he could be rid of. Sirius called it a 'Snivellus'. Kreacher didn't know the meaning of this, so he didn't know he was breaking his oath," Narcissa told him. "You see, the name Snivellus is actually...."

"A nickname that my father and Sirius used to call Professor Snape when they were at Hogwarts," Harry said, interrupting her.

"Correct, Mr. Potter. You know a lot more than I gave you credit for," she said, almost complimenting him.

"Snivellus - I'll have to remember that one," Ron said with a smirk.

"You see, Mr. Potter, I knew that the only reason Snape would be anywhere near my cousin was if they were working together, for the Order," Narcissa told him. " I knew that Snape would inform Dumbledore that you had gone missing, thereby alerting the Order."

"Just why did you want your husband dead? What was so important that you would risk all our lives?" Hermione asked angrily.

"At the time, Miss Granger, I had very few options open to me. I would have surely been killed if I refused to go along with Lucius's plan. At least, my way, everyone had a fighting chance to survive," she said to Hermione.

"But why did you want Mr. Malfoy dead?" Harry asked, repeating Hermione's question.

"Self-defense, Mr. Potter," she answered.

"Are saying that Mr. Malfoy wanted to kill you?" Harry asked.

"Yes, for about a year now. He tried to poison me twice, but just ended up killing one of the house-elves and his favorite dog," she told Harry.

"But why would Lucius want you dead?" Hermione asked.

"There is an old saying among pure-blood families, Miss Granger. The deadliest disease a first wife can catch is turning forty. Remember, there is no such thing as divorce in wizarding families," Narcissa said in a very serious tone.

"But you don't look forty," Hermione told her. "You don't even look thirty-six; you could easily pass for twenty-six."

"That's very kind of you to say, but it not the point," she told Hermione.

"Then what is the point?" Hermione asked.

"The point is that I no longer look eighteen, and that's what Lucius thinks he's entitled to. He would consider it an affront to his pride to have a wife that didn't live up to his high standards," she answered. Normally, Harry wouldn't believe a word of her story. But killing his wife to get a younger one did sound a lot like Lucius Malfoy.

"So, to save your own bloody neck, you were willing to risk getting all of us killed or in Voldemort's hands," Harry said accusingly.

"Do not use that name in this house," Narcissa sternly warned.

"What? You don't expect me to call him the Dark Lord, do you?" Harry asked, almost jokingly.

"No, of course not. I would prefer that you didn't mention that egotistical, chauvinistic buffoon, Riddle, at all," Narcissa said irritably. Harry was very surprised that she would use Voldemort's given name.

"It's a good thing your ex-husband didn't hear you talk that way about his Master. He'd really have a reason to kill you, then," Harry said to her.

"Oh please, Lucius had twice the contempt for Riddle than I ever had," Narcissa told him.

"Then why is he a Death Eater?" Hermione asked.

"For the power," Narcissa answered.

"He's rich, why didn't he just buy an election and become Minister of Magic?" Ron asked.

"It was much cheaper to simply buy the current Minister. Lucius wanted power but not the responsibility that goes along with it. He also has certain appetites that he prefers to keep out of the public eye," Narcissa told them.

"You mean like torturing and raping Muggles and Muggle-born witches," Harry asked in a serious voice.

"I was referring to his obsession with collecting Dark Magic artifacts," Narcissa answered. Harry could see by the expression on her face that she wasn't being entirely truthful. She may not have participated in Lucius's crimes, but she was definitely aware of them.

"If Mr. Malfoy had the Minister in his back pocket, why did he get sent to Azkaban?" Ron asked.

"I have to admit, Mr. Weasley, that I'm at a loss to explain it. Lucius has enough on Cornelius to send him to Azkaban for life right alongside him," Narcissa answered.

"So, let me get this straight," Harry said. "You set everybody up to meet in a battle at the Ministry of Magic so that you could get rid of your husband before he got rid of you."

"Essentially, that was my plan. I was hoping that a member of the Order, or maybe Bella, would kill him. I guess I can live with life imprisonment," Narcissa said, sounding a little disappointed.

"Do you know what a sociopath is?" Hermione disdainfully asked.

"I can't say that I've ever heard that term before. Is it a path that a lot of people take?" Narcissa asked.

"I guarantee a lot you pure-bloods are on it," Hermione mockingly answered.

Narcissa narrowed her eyes at Hermione. She knew somehow that she had just been insulted.

"Why would Bellatrix kill Malfoy?" Harry asked.

"She hated my husband with a true passion, for one thing. The fact they were both competing to be the second-in-command under Riddle, was another. Each hoped that they could prove themselves in this mission to their Master. Unfortunately for both of them, things didn't turn out the way they had planned," Narcissa said.

"Why did your sister hate Lucius?" Ron asked. "They were both Death Eaters."

"She and my older sister had this ridiculous notion that Lucius had something to do with our parents' deaths. Which is impossible, because they died when their private yacht was sunk in a freak storm in the Bahamas," Narcissa answered. "Since no trace of the boat, or my parents, was ever found, they naturally assumed that Lucius had something to do with it."

"That's not true," Harry firmly stated. "They found this."Harry pulled the small black box out of his pocket and set it on the table.

"Your sister, Andromeda, wanted you to have this," Harry said. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he slid the small box down the length of the table. Narcissa stopped it with her hand before it fell off the end. After a few seconds of hesitation, she slowly lifted the lid off the box. She gasped a little once she recognized the object inside. With a slightly trembling hand, Narcissa removed her mother's Black Widow pearl necklace from the box.

"Where did she get this?" Narcissa asked in a slightly shaky voice. Harry thought he detected a hint of sadness, as well.

"She found it for sale in a Knockturn Alley store two years after your mother disappeared," Harry told her. "Nowhere near the bottom of the Caribbean Ocean."

"It could be a copy," Narcissa said, obviously still in denial.

"Your mother's blood was still on when it was found; it's probably still on it now," Harry told her.

Narcissa looked at him with wide eyes. He guessed she suspected the truth all along. But, with no real way to deal with it, she preferred to ignore it instead. But there was no ignoring what she held in her hands.

She removed her wand from her robes and pointed it at the necklace. With a shaky hand she said, "Reperi Artearus Black." Parts of the necklace glowed a deep red color, including the thick chain. Harry knew this was proof-positive that the necklace was her mother's, along with the blood on it. With extreme care, she gently set the necklace back in the box and closed the lid.

"This only shows that I was right to try and get rid of Lucius when I did," she said to Harry, trying to sound confident. But he knew the necklace was quite a blow to her. Apparently, Tonks' mum knew it would be, too.

With another 'pop,' the small house-elf reappeared with a bottle of wine. "Three fingers for everyone, Olivia," she told the elf. As soon as the house-elf started to pour wine in Narcissa's glass, Harry noticed that his own glass, as well as Ron and Hermione's, began to fill. "Is the main course ready, Olivia?" she asked.

"Yes, would Mistress like to be served?" the house-elf asked.

"Yes," she answered. With a snap of the house-elf's fingers, plates full of food appeared in front of them. Narcissa lifted her glass of wine to her lips, and then quickly emptied it. Harry looked at the food on his plate. The roast chicken looked as good as any he had been served at Hogwarts, but he still wasn't about to eat any of it.

"You're not eating, Mr. Potter?" Narcissa asked, as she let her wine glass be refilled.

"No, I'm not hungry; we all ate just before we..." the clatter of eating utensils interrupted him. Looking over, he witnessed Ron tearing into the food on his plate. Harry felt like taking off his shoe and throwing it at him.

"Ron," Hermione hissed angrily through clenched teeth.

"It was a long bus ride," Ron said, his month full of chicken.

"It was less than ten minutes long," she irritably spat back at him. Ron just shrugged his shoulders and continued to eat.

"I see that Mr. Weasley still has a appetite," Narcissa said.

"It would be a miracle if he ever didn't have one," Hermione told her with a look of disgust on her face.

"As I was saying before, I think it was best to get rid of Lucius when the opportunity presented itself. Besides, everything worked out for the best in the end. Lucius and ten other Death Eaters were caught and sent to prison, and Riddle never did get his hands on the prophecy," Narcissa smugly said, then took another sip of wine.

"SIRIUS IS DEAD! YOU THINK THAT'S FOR THE BEST!" Harry shouted furiously at her.

"Sirius is dead?" Narcissa asked, looking surprised as she lowered her glass.

"Yes, your psychotic nut-job of a sister killed him," Harry angrily stated.

"I never knew anyone had been killed; the Ministry reports didn't mention it. Lucius had clamed in his defense that Sirius was there, but there was no proof," Narcissa told Harry.

"That's because Bellatrix hit Sirius with a stunning hex that knocked him through an archway that led to the realm of the dead," Harry told her. He could still see Sirius' face, as he fell through the veil, as if it had only happened yesterday.

"Then what happened?" she asked.

"He died, that's what happened. He fell through the arch and is now gone forever," Harry irritably told her.

"That's it? He just fell through this archway and disappeared?" Narcissa asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, he just disappeared," Harry answered.

"No set of bleached bones or mummified corpse fell out the other side?" she asked.

"No," Harry answered tersely.

"No painful scream of death as the life was torn from him?"

"No, he just disappeared," Harry told her, feeling irritated by her stupid questions.

"I must ask, Mr. Potter, what makes you think my cousin is dead?" Narcissa asked.

"He fell through the arch and past the veil, no one survives the realm of the dead," Harry angrily explained.

"Actually, Harry, that's not really true," Hermione told him.

"Whose side are you on?" Harry asked Hermione, feeling a bit betrayed.

"Miss Granger is quite right, Mr. Potter. There are hundreds of stories about wizards and witches traveling to and from the realm of the dead. Of course, I don't believe all of them to be true, but some of them have to be. Merlin himself was known to travel to the land of the dead many times," Narcissa told him.

"Dumbledore told me Sirius was dead. He wouldn't lie to me." Harry firmly stated.

"That's the problem with listening to wizards over a hundred and twenty years old. They always think they know what's best for everyone else. The old wizard was probably trying to stop you from going through this archway after my cousin," Narcissa suggested. Harry wondered if she were right; it wouldn't be the first time Dumbledore has tried to protect him from the truth.

"You think there's a chance Sirius is still alive?" Harry asked her.

"I really have no idea, Mr. Potter. But someone built this archway to travel to the death realm. I find it hard to believe that they would have done so if death was the only thing they were seeking," she answered. Harry hoped that she was right; he would give anything to have Sirius back with him. He also knew she might just be trying to avoid the blame for Sirius's death. Harry remembered Tonks telling him how smart her aunt was.

"If Sirius was alive, why hasn't he shown back up, by now? It's been months since he fell through the veil," Harry skeptically asked.

"I really don't know, Mr. Potter. I'm not an expert on these matters. Sirius could very well be dead, for all I know, but I doubt it. Knowing my cousin, he will probably turn up at exactly the wrong time," Narcissa said with a smirk.

"Hermione, do you think it's possible that Sirius could still be alive?" Harry asked.

"It depends, Harry. If he wasn't hurt too badly by Bellatrix's hex and he didn't fall too far once he passed through. He might still be alive," Hermione answered.

"What about food and water. Do you think he could find those in the realm of the dead?" Ron asked.

"He won't need any, Ron," Hermione said. "Time works very differently in that realm. What might seem like minutes to him could be days for us. According to his memoirs, Merlin use to go to the realm of the dead to leap frog forward in time. That's how he lived to be over a thousand years old."

"So, he could come back through the archway at anytime?" Harry asked.

"I doubt it, Harry," Hermione told him. "There probably isn't an archway on his side. Whoever built it most likely took some kind of device with them to allow them to return. Something like a Portkey. Without it, he may never be able to find his way back."

Harry made the decision right there to learn all he could about the archway. If his Godfather were trapped in the land of the dead, he would find a way to rescue him.

"Have you heard from your dear sister, recently?" Harry sarcastically asked.

"You mean Bella? No, Mr. Potter. Nor do I expect I ever will," Narcissa answered. Harry couldn't tell if she was being truthful or not.

"You two don't get along. That's funny, you both have so much in common," Harry spitefully said to her.

"My sister and I haven't spoken since the our parents'death. As I said before, she blames Lucius for their deaths," Narcissa said to Harry, with a look of disdain on her face.

"You're no longer married to Malfoy. Do you think she'll be stopping by for a sisterly chat?" he asked.

"I'm quite sure she's dead, Mr. Potter," she flatly told Harry.

"What makes you think that?" Harry asked.

"The mission to the Department of Mysteries was a complete failure, Mr. Potter. Not only did she fail to retrieve the prophecy, but eleven Death Eaters were captured as well. Riddle has killed his servants for far less. I can only hope that he was merciful and killed her quickly," Narcissa sorrowfully said.

Harry remembered what Voldemort said to Bellatrix in the Ministry of Magic. He didn't think Voldemort would have been merciful or quick if he had killed her.

"It was very ironic that Bella was the one who fought Sirius to the death," Narcissa said.

"Why is that; because they were cousins?" Hermione asked.

"They were much more than just cousins, Miss. Granger. Sirius was my sister's first love," Narcissa told her.

"Ewww, that's disgusting. They were first cousins for Merlin's sake," Hermione said in revulsion.

"First cousin marriages are not uncommon among pure-bloods, Miss Granger. As teenagers, there were very few other wizards and witches our own age to socialize with other than family," Narcissa informed her.

"Sirius never mentioned anything about him and Bellatrix to me," Harry said, sounding skeptical.

"I doubt he would have, Mr. Potter. The whole thing only lasted one summer and ended very badly when they were both sixteen. Sirius ran away from home because of what happened between the two of them," Narcissa told him.

"Sirius said he ran away from home because his parents were Dark wizards," Harry told her.

"Well, that was undoubtedly part of it. But he was also angry that Bella refused to see him after what he had done to her. That had more to do with it than anything else," Narcissa said.

"What did Sirius do to her, anyway?" Ron asked, as he finished with his plate.

"I really shouldn't say. It's probably best to leave these things in the past," Narcissa told them. Harry could tell by the look on her face that she was dying to tell them. She just needed the right prompting.

"Sirius is my godfather. I think it would be best if I know everything about his relationship with your family," Harry told her. Harry realized that this was the first time in months that he hadn't referred to Sirius in the past tense.

"Very well, Mr. Potter, if you insist," Narcissa said with a mock hesitation. "As I was saying, during the summer between their fifth and sixth years at Hogwarts, the two of them became an item. Which was surprising, because they always seemed to hate each other at school. I think it had something to do with which houses they were in at Hogwarts. I guess the fact that they were both trapped in my aunt's house all summer had something to do with their newfound affection for one another.

"My parents normally went on vacation over the summer, so Bella and I would have to stay with our aunt. Well, about two weeks before the new school term started, Sirius did something completely vile and disgusting to Bella. He said it was an accident, but I still have my doubts," Narcissa said disbelievingly.

"What did he do?" Hermione anxiously asked. Harry was also impatient to hear what she had to say.

"As you all probably know by now, Sirius and his friends learned to become Animagi during their fifth year at Hogwarts. One night, toward the end of our summer break, my aunt left for the evening to visit friends in Wales. Sirius and Bella took this opportunity to consummate their love, right in my aunt's bed. This was the first time for Bella, but not for Sirius. Halfway through their sexual escapade, Sirius got overly excited and changed into his Animagus form while he was still with my sister," Narcissa told them.

"HE DIDN'T!" Hermione shouted in disbelief.

"He most certainly did, Miss. Granger. Sirius turned what was suppose to be one of the most romantic nights of my sister's life, into a depraved act of bestiality," Narcissa told them with a devilish smirk on her face.

"Sirius wouldn't do that. Not even to Bellatrix," Harry vociferously stated.

"Sirius always maintained that it was an accident, Mr. Potter. He had learned to become an Animagus all on his own, without the help of a professional instructor. He most likely didn't have full control over his new talent at the time. He wasn't even able to change back right away. He and my poor sister were stuck together that way for nearly twenty minutes. James and I had to force them apart."

"It gives new meaning to the phrase 'Doggie Style' doesn't it?" Ron said, as he began to laugh.

"It's not funny, Ron," Hermione scolded, but was on the verge of laughter herself.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. But when I think of Bellatrix and Snuffles together in that big bed. I just can't help myself," Ron said, through a fit of laughter.

"I can assure you, Mr. Weasley, that my sister found no humor in it. She refused to see or speak with Sirius ever again after that," Narcissa told Ron.

"How long after this were you and your sister betrothed?" Harry asked.

"Actually, Mr. Potter, we were both already betrothed at the time, we just didn't know it. I have to admit, it came as quite a shock, when I returned home for the holidays during my seventh year at Beauxbatons, to be introduced to my soon-to-be husband on Christmas Eve," Narcissa answered.

"And how big of a shock was it when you found out you were betrothed to me?" Harry asked.

"I was surprised at who the Ministry had picked, but not at being selected. I knew something was up when they decided to annul my marriage," Narcissa answered.

"So, how do you feel about having to marry me?" Harry asked her directly. He and his two companions waited impatiently for her to answer as Narcissa took another sip of wine.

"I had reservation at first, of course. But once it became clear that I was left with little choice in the matter, I was able to except it," Narcissa answered.

"You do realize that once you marry Harry, you are going to be a target for every Death Eater out there. The Dark Lord will stop at nothing to make sure that you and your child are both dead," Hermione told her.

"I will be in that situation whether I marry Mr. Potter or not, Miss. Granger. It will only be a matter of time before Mr. Riddle realizes that I betrayed him. At least with Potter, I'll gain the protection of Dumbledore and his Order," Narcissa answered.

"So, it's still just about saving your own arse," Harry said accusingly.

Narcissa gave Harry a contemptuous look, and then said, "We all do what we must to survive, Mr. Potter. Even as young as you are, you should be able to understand that." Harry realized that she was very serious about what she said. She wouldn't let anything stand in the way of her own safety, not even him.

"What about Draco?" Hermione suddenly asked.

"What about him?" Narcissa fired back.

"He's a Death Eater, now. He has the Mark. Ron saw it. Do you think you're going to be safe from him just because he's your son?" Hermione asked.

"Draco stopped being my son as soon as he had me removed from my own house, without so much as a single bronze Knut in my pocket," Narcissa bitterly answered. "Thankfully, my father left enough currency in his private vault, here at the Manor, to sustain me for awhile."

"Wednesday, your invitation said for us to meet here, at Black Manor," Harry said to her.

"I'm quite aware of that, Mr. Potter. I did write the invitation myself. Do you have a point in bringing it up?" Narcissa impatiently asked.

"Draco only found out about our marriage contract that morning. That means he threw you out the same day," Harry pressed her.

"I believe Draco is still in contact with his father, somehow. It was most likely Lucius's idea to have me forcefully removed from Malfoy Manor," Narcissa said with some bitterness.

"I guess you and Draco weren't as close as you thought," Harry suggested.

Letting out a small sigh, Narcissa forlornly said, "It's true, Draco and I have never been that close. He turned out to be so much like his father. That was how he was meant to be, after all. If I were his real mother, maybe it would have been different."

Everyone in the room fell silent at hearing Narcissa's revelation. Harry was sure that he wasn't the only one baffled by it. Finally, Hermione asked, "What do you mean you're not his real mother? Was he adopted?"

"No, Miss Granger, he is not adopted. What I meant was - he is Lucius's blood, not mine. I just gave birth to him," Narcissa answered, but everyone in the room was still looked very confused.

"I don't understand; how can he be Lucius's blood, but not yours?" Hermione asked, sounding very puzzled.

"The Malfoys have practiced the art of Direct Heirs for several hundred years, Miss Granger," Narcissa informed her.

"Direct Heirs, that Dark Magic. It's illegal," Ron anxiously stated.

"What's Direct Heirs," Harry asked.

"Direct Heirs is a custom used by some of the older pure-blood families, Mr. Potter. It's a simple spell and potion given to the family heir's first bride on their wedding night. The spell and potion guarantee that none of the bride's hereditary traits or bloodline is shared with the child. The child grows up to be identical to his father," Narcissa told Harry.

"HE'S A BLOODY CLONE!" Hermione excitedly shouted.

"A what?" Narcissa and Ron both asked.

"A genetic copy. He only has his father's DNA," Hermione told them. "If the Malfoys have been doing this for centuries, then he's a copy of a copy. That's why he's not as smart or as talented as his father. There must be some degradation over the generations." Both Ron and Narcissa still looked puzzled. Harry had to admit to himself, even he was a bit lost.

"Dad says Direct Heirs is the main reason why all the pure-blood families are so messed up, now," Ron said.

"It makes sense. With just the inbreeding, it would be bad enough. Cloning would practically dry up the gene pool," Hermione told them.

"I agree. Direct Heirs have weakened wizard bloodlines throughout the Wizarding World," Narcissa said. "It is a cheap form of immortality that denies witches the opportunity to pass on their own talents to their children."

"If you don't believe in Direct Heirs, why did you do it?" Harry asked.

"Lucius didn't give me a choice. He did promise that our second child would be shared blood. I was naive and foolish enough to believe him," Narcissa said with the sound of regret in her voice.

"You never tried to have another child?" Hermione asked.

" I became pregnant three more times after I had Draco, all of them girls. Lucius forced me to abort them all. He refused to have a child that he would have to pay a dowry to get rid of, he told me," Narcissa resentfully said. "After I was forced to give up the third one, I decided to stop trying."

"You want to try again, with me?" Harry asked.

"You have proven yourself to be a formidable wizard, even at such a young age. Your blood and mine should make a excellent heir to the Black bloodline," Narcissa answered.

"So the only thing you want from me, is the Potter bloodline to mix with your own," Harry suggested.

"Of course not. The Potter Bloodline was mediocre at best. I knew your father since we were children. The only thing extraordinary about James was the size of his head. It's your mother's bloodline that I'm interested in," Narcissa told Harry.

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Harry shouted. "My father was a great wizard."

"Name one great thing he ever did," Narcissa challenged.

"He joined the Order and fought against Dark wizards like your husband and son. He gave his life to protect my mother and I," Harry furiously stated.

"Oh please, Riddle went through your father like he wasn't even there. It was your mother who stopped him. It was her magic, not yours, that destroyed Riddle and saved you. But does anyone ever mention her? Of course not. They couldn't have a simple witch destroying the most powerful Dark wizard on earth, could they? So instead, it was 'the boy who lived'," Narcissa sarcastically said. Part of Harry knew she was right. He had always felt guilty about people giving him the credit for destroying Voldemort the first time, when it was his mother who gave her life to save him.

"My mother was a Muggle-born. Her bloodline won't help you," Harry told her.

"That's where you're wrong Mr. Potter. Her bloodline is very strong; you're living proof of that. I wouldn't be surprised if she came from a noble bloodline herself," Narcissa said.

"She was a Muggle-born, there are only Muggles in her bloodline," Hermione said.

"I seriously doubt that Miss Granger. Most Muggle-borns have some kind of magical ancestry, usually no more that two or three generations removed. A true Muggle-born, such as yourself, is very rare indeed. I'd be willing to bet that at least one of Lily Evans grandparents was a witch or wizard," Narcissa told her. Harry wondered if she was right; could he be related to another magical bloodline?

"Fortunately, your own magic comes predominately from your mother's side. You have your father's physical strength and outward appearance, but the rest of you takes after your mother," Narcissa informed him.

"How would you know what or who I take after?" Harry suspiciously asked.

"The hair, she must have tested the hair," Hermione said before Narcissa could answer.

"Miss Granger is correct. I did test the hair sample that Moriarty brought back to me. Because of your striking similarity to James, I was afraid that you, too, were the product of Direct Heirs as well. The Potters were pure-bloods after all," Narcissa told Harry.

"So you want my genes to make your heir. What makes you think I'd ever trust you enough to marry you?" Harry asked.

"It's quite simple, Mr. Potter. You don't have a choice. And I want two heirs, not just one. My daughters will be the elite among the Wizarding World. They will bring the Noble Black family back to the great matriarchy that Morgana, Queen of Avalon, started over a millennium ago," Narcissa confidently said.

"Two? Are you nuts? As soon as the first child is born, our marriage will be over," Harry stated pointedly.

"You haven't read the contract that well, have you, Mr. Potter. The marriage can only be dissolved when the pure-blood is satisfied that a proper heir has been provided. And only the pure-blood can petition the Ministry to dissolve the marriage. So, unless you want to be known as Mr. Potter-Black for the rest of your life, you will give me the daughters I was once denied," Narcissa firmly said.

"How do you know it will be daughters? Do you plan to use magic to insure it?" Hermione asked.

"No, Miss. Granger, I won't need any magic. Our side of the Black family has always had only girls. My mother had only daughters, as did both my sisters. I most likely would have had a daughter if it weren't for the use of the Direct Heir potion and spell," Narcissa answered.

"No wonder Draco acts like a poof half the time. He was meant to be a girl," Ron said with a smirk.

"You said both your sisters had daughters. You mean Bellatrix had a child?" Harry asked.

"No, Bella never had a child. But she was pregnant, once. She lost the child when she was hit by a spell during a battle with Aurors. She barely escaped with her own life," Narcissa answered.

"Let me guess. One of the Longbottoms threw the curse that hit Bellatrix," Hermione stated.

"I'm not sure who it was, Miss Granger. Bella and I were already estranged by that time. I can say that it probably was Lucius who tipped the Aurors off about Bella's whereabouts," Narcissa said.

"You still haven't answered my question. How do I know you can be trusted? What's to stop you from handing me, or our child, over to Voldemort?" Harry defiantly asked.

"I would never hand one of my children over to Riddle, not even if it meant my life. Draco was his father's son and was destined to follow in Lucius's footsteps. Our own child will have a free will of her own. Besides, if Dumbledore trusts me, then you should be able to do the same," Narcissa told him.

"What makes you think Dumbledore trusts you?" Harry asked cynically.

"You're here, aren't you? If Dumbledore didn't trust me, he would never have let you come. He would have used all his influence to dissolve this contract. But he hasn't, has he?" Narcissa asked.

In some bizarre way, what she said made sense. Dumbledore had told Harry to be careful around Narcissa, but he never mentioned that he was against the marriage. "Look, Mr. Potter. As dangerous as this marriage may seem to you, it's twice as dangerous to me. I'm the ex-wife of a Death Eater. To the Ministry, that is the same as being one. All of my old friends will become my new enemies. There is really no one, beyond myself, that I came trust at this point. By marrying you, I could very well be signing my own death warrant."

The realization that this marriage was actually going to happen hit Harry like a ton of bricks. He had hoped Narcissa would be as opposed as he was to getting married. But, with her eagerness to go through with it, and without Dumbledore's resistance, he was doomed. "Just when did you want to go through with this, anyhow?" Harry asked, sounding a bit defeated.

"There's no time like the present," Narcissa answered with a smile. She then turned to the small house-elf and said, "Olivia, will you tell Minister Dellborn that we will meet him in the library."

"Yes, Mistress," the elf said, then disappeared.

"Wait, you want to get married right now?" Harry asked, with a look of shock on his face.

"Of course. There is nothing to be gained from waiting. The sooner we do this the less opportunity our enemies will have to stop us. That's why I had you bring two witnesses with you," Narcissa answered. She then got out of her seat and headed for the door. Slowly, the three of them rose and followed her.

"Harry, you're not really going to marry her now, are you?" Hermione asked in a whisper, as they followed Narcissa out of the room.

"Do you have a better idea?" he shot back. "It's probably best to get this thing over and done with. At least if I do this now, I won't have to come back to this place in a month."

They all entered a small room on the second floor, together. An old wizard, wearing dark blue robes, was waiting for them. "Madam, I've been waiting nearly and hour for you. I was told that this wouldn't take more than a few minutes of my time," the old man said, obviously irritated by the delay.

"My apologies, Minister Dellborn. My betrothed and I had a few matter to discuss, first. I will gladly pay you for a full additional hour of your time," Narcissa told the wizard. The old man's mood improved immediately at the mention of extra money.

Narcissa walked over to an old style rolltop desk and removed a small dark-green box from one of its many drawers. She walked back over to Harry, held the box out to him, and said, "Here, these were for Andromeda's wedding but were never used because of her choice of a muggle-born for a husband." Harry took the box from her and opened it. Inside was a set of wedding rings. Two simple gold bands with small diamonds and rubies set all the way around each one.

"Don't worry about the ceremony. It the simplest marriage ritual there is. All you will have to do is say 'I do' and put the ring on my finger," Narcissa told him, then reached into the box, taking the larger of the two bands. "We're ready for you now, Minister," she told the old wizard.

As the old wizard took up position in front of them, Harry wondered how he had gotten into the Manor without the Order noticing him. He realized that Narcissa had planned to get married tonight back on Wednesday when she sent the invitation.

The old wizard cleared his throat and started. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here this evening to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. If anyone knows a reason why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace," the Minster asked. Harry looked back at Hermione and Ron. Both had confused looks on their faces, as if they weren't sure what to do.

"Very well," the Minister said, after no one answered. "Do you, Harry James Potter, take Narcissa Black to be your lawfully wedded wife?" he asked. Harry nervously looked back at his friends for an answer. Hermione just shrugged her shoulders at him.

Swallowing hard, Harry finally said, "I...I do."

After hearing his answer, the Minister turned to Narcissa and asked, "Do you, Narcissa Black, take Harry James Potter as your lawfully wedded husband?"

Without hesitation, she said, "I do." She reached out and took hold of Harry's hand and slipped the wedding band on his finger. Narcissa then held out her own hand to Harry. With trembling hands, Harry tried to put the ring on her finger. After almost dropping it twice, he managed to get it on.

"By the power granted to me by the British Wizarding Consul, I hereby pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride," the old wizard told him. Harry looked over at Narcissa with fear in his eyes. At only five-foot five she was at least two inches shorter than him. But, at that moment, she seemed larger that Hagrid. After apparently deciding that Harry wasn't going to make the first move, she leaned in and gave him a soft peck on the lips.

Narcissa walked back over to the desk and removed a small black bag from it. She then walked over to the wizard and said, "Here is an extra ten Galleons, Minister. I appreciate your help and patience in this matter."

"You're very welcome, Madam. Enjoy your honeymoon," the wizard said, as he took the small bag of coins and left the room.

Narcissa picked up a small bell off the desk and rang it once. With another 'Pop' the small house-elf reappeared. "Olivia, please show Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger out. Harry and I wish to have the rest of the evening to ourselves," she told the elf. That was first time she had called him Harry instead of Mr. Potter. He didn't like it.

"Please tell Professor Dumbledore that Harry will be spending the night here and will be back at Hogwarts tomorrow," she said to his two, still shocked-looking, friends as she took hold of his hand and pulled him from the room.

............................................................................................................

Fifteen minutes later, Harry was sitting on the end of a large bed in the master bedroom. A white bathrobe with the Black family crest lay next to him on the bed. Harry made no attempt to remove his clothes and put the robe on. He wanted desperately to flee this place as quickly as possible. He had considered breaking his replacement wand and leaving for the safely of Hogwarts.

The door to the bathroom opened and Narcissa entered the room. Harry's eyes widened with surprise at what she was wearing. It was a pink teddy that was barely thick enough to not be considered see-through. A normal guy like Flint would probably start drooling all over himself right about now. The teddy was cut so low in the front that her belly button almost showed. The bottom was so short that, if it were an inch higher above her long, smooth, beautiful legs, all of her would be exposed to him. Her beauty and nearly uncovered sexuality only made Harry's anxiety grow.

Narcissa held two goblets in her hands. As she approached Harry, she held one out and said, "Here, drink this. It will help you relax and keep your stamina up tonight." Normally, Harry would never accept a potion from her. But he was desperate for something to calm his nerves. Instead of taking the one she held out, he reached for the one in her other hand.

"I see that trust is still a issue with us," Narcissa said with a smile.

"It always will be," Harry said, as he brought the goblet to his lips and quickly drank the potion. Harry instantly felt warm all over. He could feel a tingling sensation in his fingers and toes.

After finishing her own, Narcissa took Harry's goblet and set them both on the table next to the bed. She walked back around to the front of the bed and stood only inches in front of him. "You seem very nervous, Harry. Might I assume that this is your first time being intimate with a woman, or girl for that matter?" Narcissa asked, as she placed her hands on Harry's chest.

"Y...Y...Yes," Harry tensely choked out.

Narcissa slid one of her hands down Harry's chest to the top of his jeans. Harry sucked in a panicky breath as her hand slipped into his jeans and began cupping his manhood. "Nice," she said, as Harry felt his erection rapidly grow under her soft caresses.

"Don't worry, Harry, even though its been years since Lucius has touched me, I still know how to please a man," Narcissa whispered into his ear. She withdrew her hand from his jeans and pushed him back onto the bed. She dropped to her knees in front of him and began to unbutton his jeans.

"What are doing?" Harry asked uncertainly, as he leaned forward while resting on his elbows.

"Sssshhhh," Narcissa said, as she pulled him free of his fly. What she did next sent jolts of pleasurable electricity throughout his body. All thoughts of Dark wizards, marriage laws, and pure-bloods were suddenly flushed from his mind.

An hour and a half later, Narcissa rolled off from on top of him and lay panting breathlessly at his side. Harry was near complete exhaustion. Six times he had risen to the occasion. Whatever that potion was, it sure had one hell of an effect. Harry didn't think he could go again without his heart exploding.

Narcissa turned towards him and draped one arm over his chest and said, "You were amazing, Harry. You're so much better thanyour father was at your age."

"WHAT!"