Bargaining over an unkilled hare

Except for two house-elves, Narcissa Malfoy lived alone in the mansion. After the victory over the Dark Lord, the manor had been searched several times, leaving behind smashed statues, broken dishes, torn books, damaged furniture, and ripped curtains scattered throughout the house. Narcissa had deliberately forbidden the house-elves from tidying up, hoping to present the wreckage to the Ministry when the case went to court. Meanwhile, she meticulously compiled lists of damaged and missing items from the searches, adding to them the damage caused by Voldemort's residence. She also wrote letters to anyone who might help secure the release of her husband and son, never forgetting to remind them that the Malfoys always repaid their debts, whatever they might be.

There had been no official announcement of Snape's death, so she wasn't surprised when she received a letter from the Potions Master, offering to meet and discuss some matters. Naturally, Narcissa agreed, as she was grateful to Snape for protecting her son during his sixth year. Apologizing in her reply for the fact that their Floo connection had been cut off from the network by the Ministry, she arranged a time for Snape's visit.

Snape Apparated at the mansion's gates, where he was met by Narcissa and led to the sitting room. There, she offered him coffee and made small talk, waiting for him to reveal the true purpose of his visit.

"Narcissa," Snape began, addressing her by name as a long-time friend of the family. "You're interested in seeing Lucius and Draco set free, aren't you?"

"Of course, Severus," Narcissa had to muster all her composure to keep a polite smile on her face. "Do you have something to offer me?"

Snape hesitated, knowing how unfavorable his offer would be to her. Lucius and Narcissa had been prefects when he entered Hogwarts, and as a poor half-blood, it would have been tough for him in Slytherin without their support. Even later, the Malfoys had always stood by him in front of the Dark Lord, at least until they fell out of favor. However, his own interests always took precedence.

"Narcissa, I know of certain individuals who can support your petition for the rehabilitation and release of your family. But not without compensation—on certain terms."

"What terms?" Narcissa asked in a neutral tone.

"Not long ago, you inherited something..." Snape paused, allowing her to recall what he meant.

"Inherited?" she asked with a well-practiced air of confusion, though some of it was genuine, as she hadn't received any inheritance. "I don't know what you're talking about, Severus."

"Don't pretend with me, Narcissa," Snape said irritably, having never mastered the art of social negotiation despite having good teachers. "You are the primary genealogical heir of Sirius Black and Bellatrix Lestrange. Bellatrix's husband is dead, and her brother won't inherit from her, so you recently came into the inheritance from both."

"From Bellatrix, perhaps..." Narcissa drawled, wondering why she truly hadn't received anything from her elder sister. She hadn't given much thought to Bellatrix's inheritance, as she had been preoccupied with other matters. "But what does my cousin have to do with it?"

"Sirius left a will bequeathing everything to his godson, Harry Potter. But during the recent battle with Voldemort, Potter was struck by the Killing Curse, temporarily entering a near-death state. This triggered the magical inheritance system, transferring the Black estate to you. When Harry revived, the estate didn't return to him."

"Uh-huh..." Narcissa no longer hid her contemplation. Something was indeed off with the Black inheritance, given that after Sirius's death, it had passed to Harry Potter, despite the laws of magical inheritance. However, back then, Bellatrix had been the heir, and Narcissa had figured it was her sister's issue, not hers. "And what do these interested parties want from me?"

"The estate must be returned to the boy, according to his godfather's wishes. Additionally, the Ministry will likely look favorably upon the Malfoys if you donate Bellatrix's inheritance to the Department of Mysteries."

Narcissa nodded knowingly. They were demanding a hefty price for her husband and son's freedom, and she didn't even possess what they were asking for.

"And may I know who these interested parties are?"

"You've always been perceptive, Narcissa."

It wasn't hard for her to guess. First and foremost, it was Harry Potter, who had yet to make any public appearances after defeating the Dark Lord. And where Harry was, there was Dumbledore—who, incidentally, had not been killed by the man sitting before her. The interested parties clearly hadn't considered that Narcissa kept close tabs on the Ministry and knew that the resurrected old man had no influence there at the moment. It seemed he was trying to regain some influence by orchestrating the transfer of Bellatrix's inheritance to the Department of Mysteries.

It wasn't hard for Narcissa to deduce that the hefty demand wasn't coming from those truly responsible for her family's freedom.

"Sorry, Severus," she restored her polite smile. "According to our marriage contract, I cannot make such a decision without consulting my husband."

"Perhaps the interested parties could arrange a meeting with your husband," Snape offered, though he wasn't sure if Dumbledore could make that happen.

"While my husband is stripped of his civil rights, he cannot make such decisions," Narcissa continued, now emboldened. "And, naturally, I cannot discuss financial matters while my Draco's fate hangs in the balance."

Snape understood her subtext perfectly: "Free my family first, and then we'll talk."

"Is that your final word, Narcissa? Have you thought it through?"

Perhaps out of desperation, Narcissa might have agreed to some concessions if she had the actual bargaining chip. But for now, all she could do was bluff.

"Do I seem like someone who doesn't stand by her word? Severus, the demands of your interested parties are too high, and their guarantees are too weak for me to take their offer seriously. If the Ministry releases my family in exchange for financial compensation, I'll need to use this inheritance. I'm not in a position to dispose of it any other way right now."

Snape huffed in irritation. It wasn't that he disapproved of or didn't understand Narcissa, but it was his habitual way of reacting to his own failures.

"Fine, we'll postpone it for another time. As you've probably read in the papers, two days ago Dolohov, Rookwood, and Travers escaped from Azkaban. If they haven't reached out to you yet, they will soon. When they do, let me know—it's in both our interests. You know where my loyalties lie."

If Narcissa didn't know for sure, she strongly suspected where Snape's loyalties lay—especially after Dumbledore's mysterious resurrection.

"No, Severus, they haven't contacted me, and they're unlikely to. They're smart enough to know the Malfoys are under intense scrutiny by the Aurors right now."

"But if they do, Narcissa..."

If they turn out to be fools—she mentally completed Snape's sentence. And if she turned out to be a fool as well, she'd deliver the news to Dumbledore through Snape.

"Of course, Severus," she confirmed with a sweet smile.

After seeing Snape off, Narcissa hurried to the family tapestry, which she hadn't looked at in a long time. If she hadn't inherited anything, the name of the new head of the Black family should have appeared there.

"Arcturus Procyon Travers-Black," she read on a branch of the family tree and began tracing the web of lines indicating relationships. "So... Sirius... Josh... Interesting..."

She had never heard of this Black, but that didn't mean others didn't know more about him. If the child had been hidden by the Travers family, away from magical detection, he had likely been raised by a wealthy neutral family, who could shelter him and provide private education or send him to a European school. Finishing with the tapestry, Narcissa wrote a letter to Astoria, asking her to visit.

Astoria was a good girl. From an old neutral family, and most importantly, she loved Draco. Narcissa would never have been able to secure their engagement, even during Voldemort's reign, if Astoria herself hadn't persuaded her parents. She still cared for her fiancé in Azkaban, while any other girl in her place would have broken off the engagement.

They would have plenty to discuss in private. Even if the Greengrasses knew nothing about Travers-Black, they had far more resources to investigate him than a watched Narcissa. Such an ally was worth having on her side.