Chapter 12

There was a rumbling sound in the drawing room. It was Lucius and Severus who sat down past the armchairs and grabbed the armrests of those pieces of furniture in an attempt not to fall to the floor. The elegant chairs were not designed for such rough treatment and toppled right over the two mages. The profanity was drowned out by the homeric laughter of the other wizards. Even the Snow Queen - Narcissa - allowed herself a small chuckle. After half a minute of watching the futile attempts of her son's husband and godfather, the woman raised her eyes to the ceiling, as if asking him why she was doing all this, and waved her wand. The chairs fell into place and the elder Malfoy and Snape were allowed to rise.

When they were finally seated, Harry summoned the houseboy with a snap of his fingers and told him to bring a memory maelstrom from Sirius's study, wine for the ladies, brandy for the older men and juice for himself and friends. Kreacher, after listening to the young man, bowed low and disappeared with a quiet clap. A moment later he reappeared and set everything on a small table.

- I'm not going to try to explain anything to you in words," Harry said softly, wiping the remnants of mirth from his face, "our memories will make it better. After viewing them, we'll clarify the points that raise questions.

- After viewing them, you will make us an unbreakable vow not to tell anyone anything," Neville said calmly, getting up and standing behind the back of the chair Harry was occupying.

- Who told you we'd be taking it at all? - Lucius arched an eyebrow.

- 'And introduce yourself, young man,' Snape added.

- If you don't want to take your vows, you're not leaving this house," Harry said stiffly. - After all, you are in the Black family mansion and here is the head of it.

The older blond man shifted his gaze to his son, but he averted his eyes. The man had a bad feeling about Draco's possible actions.

- Didn't you recognise me, Professor? - The young man snorted, looking at the potions master.

- Should I have? - Snape asked angrily, realising that this house could be a trap if they made a mistake.

- It's a shame not to recognise someone you've been teaching for three years," Ron sniggered.

- Isn't it a shame to use blackmail? - Lucius asked in turn.

- You're one to talk," Bellatrix said with a quiet chuckle.

- And no one asked you, Lestrange," Snape hissed.

- I'd be more polite if I were you, sir," Harry said in his tone. - Though, what am I saying, you and politeness are incompatible.

- Puppy... - Severus jumped up from his chair.

- That depends on how you look at it," Harry's wand appeared in Harry's hand. - Of the two of us, you're the one wearing the collar.

- How dare you, you ungrateful bastard! You're just as much of a bastard as your father.... - The Potions Master's wand was also in his hand, and his face turned white.

A powerful blow knocked him off his feet and Snape found himself on the floor for the second time in the last quarter of an hour. Sirius loomed over him, rubbing his knuckles.

- I thought I warned you, Nuneus," Black growled, "don't you dare insult James and Harry.

- I don't give a damn about you, you flea-bitten dog," Severus bellowed and kicked his opponent in the shin, causing him to fall. The two wizards clashed like two fighting dogs and rolled across the floor, striking each other with powerful blows. Harry, Draco, Neville, Ron, and Lucius looked on calmly, but not Narcissa, who held a thin, pale palm to her mouth and stared at the fighting men in horror. Regulus watched them disapprovingly and shook his head. Bella supported her cousin with approving shouts and whistles, and Barty had to be sat back down twice as he rushed to help Sirius.

Finally, the opponents ran out of steam. Kreacher appeared next to Harry, holding in his paws a tray with vials of blood and soothing potions and a jar of healing ointment. When the bruises, broken noses and knocked knuckles had been treated and the potions drunk, Potter pointed to the maelstrom of memories.

- Are you on your own or shall I escort you? - The young man inquired somewhat snidely.

Snape snorted angrily at him and lowered his face into a silvery haze of memories, disappearing from the drawing room. He was followed first by Lucius and then Narcissa.

- Feeling better? - Potter asked, looking at his godfather.

- Not much. Do you think I was wrong? - Sirius asked, looking at the green-eyed young man.

- Not at all. I think it should have been done a long time ago. Maybe he'll finally get his head round it," Harry smiled and winked at Black.

- You think so? - Draco snorted. - It didn't work for us back in school.

- Well, not everyone is as lucky as I am... - Potter said ironically.

* * * * *

The three wizards appeared in the living room at the same time as Draco and Ron were finishing their third game of chess and Neville, Harry, Regulus and Sirius their fifth game of cards. Bellatrix and Barty took no part in the entertainment and were sitting by the fireplace, talking quietly.

Narcissa, sobbing, rushed to her son and wrapping him in a tight embrace, burst into tears. Severus and Lucius, both pale blue, walked silently to the table and drank the brandy that Kreacher had poured into their glasses hours ago. After hesitating for a few seconds, Lord Malfoy filled them again from the bottle that was standing there. After a few minutes, the bottle emptied and the two wizards, still as silent as ever, settled into their chairs. After a quick glance at them, the green-eyed boy began to deal the cards again. The silence lasted until the game was finished.

- Draco, I understand that your mother and I were dead by the time you ended up in.... Azkaban were dead. How did that happen? - Lucius asked.

The younger blond gently released himself from his mother's embrace and looked longingly at the empty bottle of brandy. Right now, he would love to have a drink of this noble beverage. It was too hard to talk about how his parents had died. He stopped his impulse to ask Kreacher to bring more alcohol, realising that his body didn't know what it was yet and was unlikely to react well to alcohol. Sighing heavily, the young man walked over to Harry's chair and sat down on the armrest. Lord Malfoy arched an eyebrow in surprise, noting that in a difficult situation his son had gone to Potter for support without even thinking, and most likely habitually.

- When the war was over, you were sent to Azkaban. Me and Mum were supposed to go there too, but Harry... He literally wrested our freedom from the Minister, who by then was Kingsley Shacklebot. It took him another month to get you out too. Harry thought he owed his life to his mum, because she wasn't afraid to lie to Voldemort, looking him straight in the eye about killing him. Only, Harry somehow didn't think I owed him a Life Debt as well. I mean, he saved me from the Room of Requirement when it was burning like hell. Yeah, well, he's a hero, brave and noble. After you were deported, which was a condition of your release, things went quietly. I was going to marry Astoria Greengrass, but it didn't work out. She received a more favourable offer from Percy Weasley. Of course, the son of war heroes, how can you say no and not care if they're blood traitors... Though I think if it had been Daphne in her place, she would have been a Malfoy no matter what. Parkinson was hanging around next to me the whole time. I would never have agreed to marry her, you were adamantly against it too. Her family was one of the first to be exonerated because that one.... She was a spy in Slytherin and reported everything to Dumbledore, her father was sniffing out information for him in the ranks of the Eaters. Yeah, godfather, you weren't the only spy that old bastard had... Anyway, when Astoria married Weasley, Parkinson offered me a prenup. We all met in France and you, Father, said you'd rather make a contract between me and a regular Muggle than let a black Muggle lackey enter the Malfoy family and cross the threshold of the manor as its mistress. They didn't like it one bit. And yes, that sixth year fool had been warming Shacklebot's bed. And his wife knew about it and turned a blind eye. After you refused, you were killed in what looked like a lab explosion. It was a miracle Mum was saved when your mansion collapsed. I got to the people who did it. But I couldn't get to the guy who did it.

I knew his name, but my hands were too short. Mum was allowed to go back to England. I was such an idiot, I should have sent her away from that bloody country, but she was the only one I had left.... One day, Parkinson showed up at the manor when I wasn't home. That bitch used a portkey to transport her to the house where she was meeting her lover and demanded the title and all the property. Mum refused and then she put a curse on her and together with the bastard minister abused her for over two days. You know her health was already compromised and it got worse after you died. Parkinson blackmailed me, saying he'd get Mum back if I gave her everything. Only... Narcissa Malfoy was dead by then and I knew it. I killed that thing. Tortured it to death with cruciatus and summoned it to Parkinson's Manor. I paid them back for you. Shacklebot was the only one left. He came to the manor a month later and demanded to sign over the title and property. I was prepared for his visit. But you can't prepare for everything. The Aurors put an anti-apparatus barrier and a port-key blocking dome around the entire estate. But, before they immobilised me, I managed to curse it with a couple of family curses from my grandfather's arsenal, the ones that couldn't be removed, and activated the destruction of the manor. And then there was Azkaban. You know, it was only there that I realised what it was to be alive, what true friendship was, when a friend would follow you through fire and water, even hell. Ron taught me that. He, the one who never killed, took the lives of six people, broke through the defences of Azkaban and was willing to give up magic just to save his friend. He was the one who came for Harry. And Potter... He showed us all that even in this hell, we can live. Taught us wandless magic, animagi, and finally got us out of there. I made the right choice the first time I called him my leader and friend, and I bitterly regret to this day that I was an idiot for years, thinking Harry was my enemy. Draco fell silent and a silence hung in the living room, almost palpable. Lucius, whose face had taken on a more familiar hue after the brandy, was now pale again. The cold aristocrat now looked his age, though he had been in his early thirties. But the most frightening thing was to look into this mage's eyes. It seemed that they belonged not to a man, but to an animal that felt its imminent death. There were wrinkles around them, and the corners of his lips were pulled down. He slumped, and the fingers clutching the cane's shaft turned white. His son's revelations were even harder on him than watching the memories.

Narcissa was crying quietly against her sister's shoulder. She hugged her and stroked her long, golden hair. Bellatrix's own eyes glistened with unshed tears too, it was too hard for her to hear about what her sister's fate was in THOSE boys' lives.She was not the unfeeling, cruel creature the boys had once known her to be. She knew how to sympathise, to care, and to feel heartache. Severus sat silently in his chair, looking at his clasped hands. The Malfoys were the only family he had. There was little joy in this wizard's life. He had been left alone early on. His mother had died when the boy was barely nine years old, unable to bear the beatings of her husband. The muggle father disliked his wife for hiding from him that she was a witch and hated his son for being born a wizard. Even two years before his wife's death, he had started drinking heavily and taking out his anger on his family. Severus travelled to school in an old robe and with used textbooks. He needed to spend the money his mother had left him sparingly. At Hogwarts, he immediately made enemies - James Potter and his loyal cronies. But there was also a friend who, as he grew older, Severus grew to love with all his heart. And he also met Lucius Malfoy, a senior student who took him "under his wing". From then on, he knew he had someone to turn to and who would help him in a time of need. He had later become Draco's godfather and was actually considered a member of the family. And now he heard that his family was going to be destroyed. He'd be dead by then, of course, but... He would be damned if he didn't do something to save them now. Even if he has to bow to Potter. Which is exactly what he'll have to do. It's the hated boy who's calling the shots here. James' puppy. Lily's son. The man looked directly at Harry and he turned, sensing his gaze.

- I'm ready to swear an oath," Severus said gruffly, looking into the young man's emerald green eyes.

He had decided that from now on, the boy would not be James Potter's son to him, but the child of Lily Evans, his favourite red-haired witch. He would be the one for him who would give him the chance to save his family.