“No—” Harry is quik to ut her off, disturbed to evehose words from her. “No. I—I wouldn’t be here. If I didn’t want to.”
And Narissa looks at him, really looks, as if she’s trying to figure out if what he’s sayihen, fiing her answer, her shoulders rex ainges her smile. “Whatever did my son do to inspire suh loyalty from you?”
“He saved my life. You saved my life. I…I want to…” Save him, too, Harry thinks, but that’s . urn the favour? That’s not it, too. Not really.
But Narissa’s looking at him in a way that’s soft, and pitying, as if she uands. Harry has to look away from that.
“You saved us. Believe me, we would weren’t for you. The Ministry would have had us all in Azkaban and theen about us.”
Harry thinks that Kingsley wouldhat, but the Wizengamot is another issue.
“We made our hoies. oning for them. I am not proud of them. But give all agaihe hoie to save the world or save my family, I…I don’t think I would have beehis time, she g her son, and says, slowly, “It just pains me, when I look bak, to remember him havi hoie as well.”
The day is peaeful. It is bright a and invisible birds hirp softly fres of the garden. It’s a stark ontrast from the heaviheir oion.
Narissa sighs, soft and sad. “I hope you uand that I’m n to justify what we did.”
“No, it’s fine,” Harry replies, and it is. “It’s alright. If you want to talk. I want to…” He pauses, surprised at the truth in his words. “I want to listen.”
Narissa smiles that same amused smile. “You are kind. Remember, Harry. The world iso kind people.”
She looks down at her hands ers sped as if i even with that said, I still want to selfishly request this from you.” She raises her head to look at him. “Please take are of my son.”
Harry iered ahe answer is already on his lips. “Mrs. Malfoy—”
“Narissa.” Another smile.
Harry exhales, slowly. He now feels Narissa’s same surprise wheo all him Harry i feels…nie. “Narissa. There’s o request. I had already p.”
She reahes over, takes his hand in hers, ahank you.”
It’s te afternoon, and Drao hasn’t shown signs of leaving his stupor.
Harry exuses himself, doesn’t ose by staying for dinner when he’s already stayed for lunh. By now, he already knows a lot more about Drao than Drao would probably be omfortable with if he knew. He also knows a lot more about Narissa, and Luius, and it’s dis, to feel this hy for this family.
He wo ould I have done?
&o her word, Narissa did ifiatioold her tale as it is, did she is a saint. Apologized for what she said to him bak then, about her ousih.
It still hurts, when Harry remembers it, but the apology soothes, even if just a bit. She also told him more abrowing up with him, family dih him and his brother. Harry thinks this is another way for her to apologize, ao her stories, enraptured, even as his heart still hurts, hurts and ahes so muh for Sirius and Remus, and oh, god, Remus.
&o hide it, how her words affet him, but he knows it shows on his fae, as pin as day.
Before he stands up to leave, Narissa lht at him and asks, “Are yht, Harry?”
And Harry thinks that she’s not just asking about the now, she’s asking about the yesterday, the tomorrow, and his every day. A ko be ho at this mome’s beause Narissa has also already bared herself, that it seems… safe to bare himself, too. In the end, he allows himself a little bit of hoy.
“No. Not really.”
And Narissa less words of omfort, just the uandiy that he is not okay.
Harry looks at her, too, at the dark spots under her eyes. “Are yht?”
Narissa gives him a wry smile. “No. Not really.”
And all at one, Harry ahe weight on her shoulders: Her husba in Azkaban, leavih a multitude of sins, a ruiai oed a madmahe love of her life, lost within his own mind.
Narissa sighs, slow and heavy. “Summer is the host of many oasioween families and anizations of power. I have tried to be present in eah and every o’s been…diffiult siurned.”
“Oasions?” Harry asks, thinking of the many fany invitatiohrowrash ihree months. “You mean parties?”
“Yes,” Narissa nods, and then she hukles. “Some of those you’ve deliend, I believe.”
Harry gives a small, uant grin.
Narissa o is a must that I remaiher pureblood families. Of ourse, the Wizarding hat part the Malfoy family has pyed i we a fore us into hidih for the opportunity to gain all that we have yet to lose.” She g Drao wistfully. “We may have dohings, Harry, but my so deserve to be stripped he ever was and had.”
&urns bak to him. “It’s been a bit tiring to attend so many funtions. I dislike leaving Drao alone, espeially as he is right now.”
Harry imagihen of ms, of Drao alone in his r at the garden. ing and going, but still returning to the same sehere are flowers in h