Stairway to Heaven

Misty opened her eyes to a stone ceiling, her head pounding but not in considerable pain. Confused, she turned over onto her stomach, to discover that she lay in a soft feather bed in a large room in Malfoy Manor.

And all too suddenly she remembered everything. Dinner, the burning village, walking there with Lucius, uncovering his plan, Draco, killing the kneazle, the broken circlet, freezing the Death Eaters, her aching head, and a warm, deep embrace.

Now she was here and it was all over.

But turning onto her side, she realized that she was not alone. Draco, dozing quietly, sat firmly in a chair by her bed. She smiled, admiring his peaceful aura in slumber, before touching a hand to his cheek.

He jerked awake, noticed her, and smiled. "I've been waiting for you."

"I know," she replied gratefully. "Thank you."

They sat silently for a moment, neither wanting to speak about the night before. Not yet.

"Narcissa?" Misty queried at last.

"The Aurors questioned her. Eventually, they let her leave. She's in Kent, at our summer house."

Misty did not ask how the woman was felling. Half of her did not want to know. "Blaise?" she asking instead.

"Gone. Left early this morning. She was afraid."

Before, Misty would have felt satisfied upon hearing that. Now she only felt extremely weary.

"I believe," Draco said quietly, "That some people have been waiting to see you. Shall I let them in?

"Will they ask questions?"

He shook his head, and she sighed, relieved. "No."

"Will you stay."

He was touched by how fragile, how childlike she looked then. "Of course," he said. She smiled, and the moment passed.

Draco left, but he returned a second later, followed by Harry Potter, a brunette girl, a lanky redhead, and a strange, spiky-pink-haired young woman.

Misty propped herself up in bed, realizing then that though she still wore the dress from last night, he wounds had been wrapped and her bruises daubed with poultice.

Draco took his seat protectively at Misty's side. Harry Potter followed, until he stood by the bed.

"Hello, I'm Harry Potter," he said, needlessly. Indicating the other three, he continued. "This is Hermione Granger - Ron Weasley - Nymphadora Tonks."

Misty nodded gravely at them all, her face a mask.

Strangely, Misty did not feel angry with Harry Potter any more. She felt neither protective nor defensive. She felt instead a grudging respect for these young wizards and witches, and an inexplicable sense of pride, both for herself and for them.

Harry Potter seemed slightly uncomfortable in the awkward silence. Wanting to put him at ease, Misty murmured, "I am Myfanwy Tewdwr. Sit down."

He didn't look ready to sit on the bed; the Aurors chose to pull chairs from the corers of the room instead. When they were all seated around her, Draco closest, harry said, "We came here to express our gratitude."

"Not only from the Aurors, but from all of the wizarding world," Ron Weasley added.

"You stopped a great evil from spreading," Hermione Granger said.

A great evil. Me, Misty thought. That would have been me, the death-reaper, the pain-sower. But she had chosen against blood, greed, and power, had chosen instead by the good and evil that she believed existed.

"I did it for the next generation," Misty explained calmly, "So that they will e saved."

"Not only did you save them, but you saved yourself, Myfanwy," Nymphadora Tonks said, earning immediate respect by her correct pronunciation of the name. "You just built yourslef a stairway to Heaven."

"And I wasn't the only one," Misty said, looking over at Draco pointedly.

"Harry sighed at her words, turning to face Draco. "No, you weren't alone. Thank you, Draco, for your sacrifice. It won't be forgotten." And he offered Draco his hand.

Draco knew that Harry meant his words, hard as they were to say. And thought they offered no consolation, the outstretched hand - the same one that had not been proffered so many years ago - forced Draco to acknowledge Harry's integrity.

Draco shook Harry's hand. Misty met Hermione's eyes at that moment and realized that something very important, very pivotal, was going on.

Then Hermione smiled. Draco fell back against his chair. Harry turned to face Misty again. Apparently, things were back to normal, but there was no longer an air of dread in the room.

"Thank you, Miss Tewdwr," Harry said solemnly. "The Aurors could not have done it without you."

"You are welcome," Misty replied. He rose, turned, and moved to the door.

Hermione stopped at Misty's side, clasping the pale Welsh hands in her own. "You made a good choice." Then she, too, was leaving.

Ron came next, his warm brown eyes caring. "Thanks," he said simply, turning away to join his friends.

Nymphadora Tonks sidled up to Misty's side then, her wide blue eyes looking suddenly nervous. "I do believe," she said. "That I owe you an apology."

Misty was confused for a moment, but she suddenly recognized the long, odd name. "You were Davina?"

"I'm a Metamorphmagus, and yes, I posed as the scullery maid, Davina." Surprisingly, her features bgan to change, and a second later, Davina stood before Misty. "I'm afraid I treated you horribly, because I thought you were..." She trailed off sheepishly, turning back into herself.

"Just like my father," Mist finished for her. She nodded. "Apology accepted."

"Thank you," Tonks said, turning to go.

Misty suddenly realized something. "Wait! Did something happen to you?"

Tonks turned. "What? When?"

"When you first arrived here. Did -" Misty glanced nervously at Draco, who was listening curiously, before plowing on--"Did Lucius do something to you?"

Tonks looked confused for a moment, before understanding bloomed in her eyes. "Oh, no, not to me. There is a real Davina, you see. Davina Williams. She was a half-blood whose single mother had fallen upon hard times. So she applied here. When she came here and found out what Lucius was active in, she feared for her own safety, and tried to run away. He found her hiding on the grounds... and administered illegal curses on her."

Misty swallowed, not wanting to look at Draco. "Crucio?"

Tonks nodded solemnly. "Afterward, she contacted the Ministry, and we arranged for me to take her place here in order to get information regarding Lucius' activities."

"Where is she now? " Draco asked suddenly. Misty glanced at him sharply. He was looking curious.

"Edinburgh, Scotland, with her mother," Tonks replied. "Why?"

"I thought they could use a few galleons, is all," he muttered quietly, glancing over at Misty, who smiled.

"Good man," Tonks said, but Draco was smiling back at Misty. Tonks turned to the girl also. "Have fun climbing that stairway."

Misty nodded to her, and then Misty and Draco were alone again.

~*~

And a new day will dawn for those who stand long

And the forests will echo with laughter

There was silence between them for a few minutes. Then Draco came and sat beside her on the bed.

"You know," he said softly, "I don't miss my father. And I don't blame you."

"Good," Misty replied. "I hope that means that you don't blame yourself either."

He looked up at her somberly. "I don't. I blame him."

She hugged him then, silently stroking his soft hair. They sat like that for some while, each protecting the other from memories.

Draco sat up. His face was dry, and he was grinning wryly, free again.

"Do you know?" he said, "That I can practically smell Wales on you?"

She laughed as he leaned down and breathed in the scent of her hair. "That tickles!" she managed, laughing harder. He ran his fingers through her nearly black waves.

"Ah, Myfanwy," he murmured, making her name sound like a melody. She looked into his eyes and saw the same trust, friendship, and devotion that had been there so many years before when they were best friends. Only now, there was something new, something deeper: love. She inhaled slowly, her eyes mirroring his.

Then he bent down, tenderly brushed some soft hair aside, and kissed her.

~*~

And she's buying a stairway to Heaven