Chapter 30 - Chapter 30: New Year's Eve with the Malfoys

"That was amazing," Harry panted out, as he collapsed back onto the bed.

"You say that a lot."

"It's true a lot."

"Well, I guess at least my ego won't suffer any time soon."

"I should hope not." Harry took a moment to catch his breath. "Now that we're both in a good mood, we do have a couple of things to talk about."

Pansy raised up off him. "Oh, and what do we need to talk about while we're in a good mood?"

"Stop that," he said as she cocked an eyebrow in response. "You know I can't think straight when your boobs are staring me in the face."

"Harry, you goof, you do know my breasts don't actually stare at you."

"That's not what my eyes tell me. They're hypnotic. So lay back down so that I can concentrate."

She complied with a mock huff. "You're no fun sometimes."

"The last half hour or so begs to disagree, but I can prove my fun-ness again later." He summoned a couple of pieces of parchment from the night table. "I've been meaning to go over these two things with you for awhile now, but the time just never felt right.

"First, this is the late Edmund Parkinson's unedited confession."

"What do you mean unedited?"

"I removed the fact that he had used the Cruciatus curse on you from the "official" confession. I thought that was private, and no one else needed to know about it since he could never do it again. I particularly didn't want anyone at Hogwarts to find out, as you get enough annoying looks from some people."

"Ever the gentleman, Harry. Thank you," she said with a kiss.

"You're welcome. I wouldn't want their pity for something like that, so I didn't think you would either.

"Now, I don't know if you want to read it all, as it's not a pretty picture. If you don't want to read it now, but decide you want to later, I keep it well guarded, hidden and warded. You deserve the truth, but I wanted it to be your choice about how to handle it."

"I assume he confessed to killing my mother and Leddy?"

"Yes and no," he answered as she looked up, waiting for an explanation. "He confessed to killing your mother. When I asked him about Leddy, he said that 'disposing of property' wasn't a crime."

"That fucking bastard," Pansy said through clenched teeth.

"I know, and I'm sorry." Harry stroked her back to try to soothe her. "That made it a lot easier to watch him die, let me tell you. He had killed others as well. Probably no surprise there."

"Do you think any of the other crimes are things I really need to know about? Anything specifically important?"

"Not really. I just thought you should know."

"Then let's not worry about it right now. We have more important things to deal with coming up."

"I'm still not liking this plan for the Malfoys."

"Harry, getting Lucius Malfoy sent to Azkaban and damaging his reputation was well done. But it was only a start. The bastard will be out in less than a month. What did he do last year?"

"Unleashed a basilisk on the school."

"Right. A school where you and I live for most of the year. Hell, a school with his own son in it. We can't afford to let him get any more chances to endanger us. We know he's willing to kill. We know he's a Death Eater. We know he's rich and has had his hand in the minister's pocket as recently as last spring. We have to deal with him. He'll never be as weak. Malfoy needs to die."

"I'm not disagreeing with any of that. I'm just not a fan of how you want to go about it."

"Harry, it's imperative that he takes the first step. That will show you to be the good guy. That's what we want."

"I know, I just-"

"Don't you trust me?"

"Yes."

"Then trust in my plan. We decided I was the brains of our partnership. I didn't get mad at you for figuring out how to get rid of my father without me. You know that I know a lot more about magical culture than you. My plan will work. I know you can take him, especially after months in Azkaban. Malfoy was never a fighter. He's a sleazy politician who knew which palms to grease and where people buried their skeletons. We just have to make sure he falls into our trap."

"Alright."

"Thank you Harry."

"Pansy, look at me." She stared up into his green eyes. "I do trust you, and I love you. I'm just worried... about complications... about..."

'I just don't want you to get hurt.'

It's what he wanted to say. But as he looked at her, he knew that she would be insulted or angry. Or think that he didn't really trust her. And he couldn't bring himself to admit it, but a part of him was worried about that trust.

"Just follow the plan, and everything will be alright."

Harry saw her confidence and swallowed his doubts, praying that she was right.

"Okay."

"Right, now what's the other thing?"

"Other thing?"

"The other thing you wanted to go over with me."

"Oh, yeah. This is something I do need you to read. I forced your father to make me a list of all the people he knew were Death Eaters."

Pansy sat up, alarmed at that and grabbed the piece of parchment and began scanning the list. Harry blinked and tried to look away.

"Let me sit up," he said and she rolled off of him, still reading. "Okay, come here and turn around."

Pansy sat between his legs and Harry wrapped his arms around her. He immediately started fondling her breasts with both hands.

"That's much better."

Pansy snorted. "I thought my breasts made it hard for you to think."

"Exactly," she turned to him as he smiled and kissed her cheek. "My hands don't think." Harry closed his eyes and grinned as he felt her nipples stiffen as he rubbed circles around them with his thumbs. "And in this position my eyes don't have to stare at you. Just hold the paper up, so I don't look down."

"One of these days, Harry, your obsession with my... well, everything, is going to get you in trouble."

"I refuse to believe in a world where loving your body is ever the wrong thing to do."

"Alright, goofball. Eyes up, and let's go over the list. A bunch of these are obvious and were already known. Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Nott- I could have told you all of those. Then we have several that are already locked up in Azkaban like the Lestranges. Then we get to the interesting ones.

"The Carrow twins. Well, the older Carrow twins, I should say."

"Older twins?" Harry asked, hands still delightfully cupping and teasing her breasts.

"Yes. Hestia and Flora are second year Slytherins. I guess you might not have heard of them. The older twins, Alecto and Amycus are a brother sister pair. I'm not surprised they're Death Eaters- the whole family has been blood supremacists going back decades."

"What are the girls like? Are they related?"

"Quiet, aloof. Flora tends to be the more excitable one, while Hestia is a bit more personable."

"What do you mean by personable and excitable?"

"Personable is about as close to friendly as most in Slytherin get. As for excitable, well, you'll like this. Last year, Theo Nott tried to get more than a little bit flirty with Hestia. Flora used some rather inventive hexes and left Theo curled up in a ball weeping over his bullocks. Needless to say, most people left the sisters alone after that.

"Now, as for how they're related, that gets even more interesting. Amycus is definitely their father. There are some rather pointed rumors about who their mother is; the nastier ones say their aunt Alecto is really their mother."

"Ouch. That can't be too pleasant."

"Indeed. Anyway, I don't know a lot about Alecto and Amycus. They've kept a rather low profile in recent years. They were two of the many supposed Imperius victims from the Dark Lord's reign of terror."

"Hmm," Harry murmured into her shoulder. She noticed his hands had finally stilled- maybe his hands did more thinking than Harry realized. "If they're smart enough to keep a low profile, then they are more likely to be dangerous. We'll have to put them at the top of the list of possible enemies to watch out for."

"Good idea. I'll try to find out if there's any interesting gossip at Hogwarts. We might be able to discover something about them from the girls."

"Not a bad idea. Next on the list, Walden MacNair."

"Now, him I know a fair bit about. He works at the ministry as an executioner, disposing of dangerous magical creatures. I sort of met him once. There was a wounded salamander near our property a few years ago. My father had him summoned in to deal with it. He seemed to enjoy his work far too much. I have no doubt that he killed for the Dark Lord, probably a lot of people.

"There was something just really creepy about him. I noticed him giving me this look briefly before my father said something to him. I assume he saw it too as whatever he said to MacNair was backed up with a rather intimidating glare. Thankfully, he left our property soon after that, but I was kept far away from the man by my parents."

"Great, so a creepy, possibly perverted Death Eater murderer that the Ministry has brilliantly decided to pay to kill to magical creatures. Instead of, you know, putting him to death or feeding him to the dementors. It's no wonder the whole society almost fell back in the seventies when the government is apparently completely useless."

"True enough, and the next name on your list worries me even more. Corban Yaxley. He's worked in the ministry for years. He was not one of those who plead the Imperius defense though."

"He wasn't?"

"No, even worse, he was never caught at all."

"Shit."

"Yes. He's in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I'm sure it was harder to catch the Death Eaters when one of their own was supposed to be hunting them down."

"At least one of their own. If there was one Death Eater in the auror office, there were likely even more. That would make sense why so few of them were ever actually caught."

"Right. So, he's got years of experience in the ministry, who knows how many contacts there, who knows how many others with similar views he might be in league with, even if they weren't actual Death Eaters, and we know it would be hard to actually get him arrested."

"So, in other words, someone that will definitely have to be taken care of permanently and carefully."

"Very carefully, Harry."

"I'll be careful, promise. Which of any of them might be at the Malfoy party?"

"With Lucius out of the way, Crabbe and Goyle might not get invited. They were always underlings."

"Like father, like son, huh?"

"Exactly. I would guess that Narcissa would aim higher for her guest list, especially if she's trying to elevate her own reputation. The Notts are much more likely to be there. Fairly well off, well respected family. I'd be doubtful of the Carrows, and certainly not MacNair. She wouldn't want such an obvious thug showing up at her fancy soiree.

"Yaxley, though, would be very likely. I believe his wife is one of Narcissa's friendlier acquaintances. Theo's mother too, thus the likelihood of the Notts attending."

"Alright, so I should keep an eye out for the Yaxleys and Notts. Anything else you can tell me about them?"

"Well, I don't believe the Yaxleys have any children. The wife, Carina, is several years younger than her husband. Very pretty too, an obvious trophy wife situation. I'm surprised she hasn't pumped out an heir. That's usually one of the primary purposes for a good pureblood wife.

"The Notts, on the other hand, have three children. Theo is the youngest. He has two older sisters, Wendy and Kathryn. Wendy was married to a wealthy Dutch pureblood a few months ago. It was a big to-do for the societal types. My mother told me the most boring stories of the people there. Thankfully, it was while Hogwarts was in session last spring, so I wasn't forced to attend."

"Kathryn Nott sounds familiar."

"It should, she was last year's head girl."

"Oh. Well, it's not like I interacted with any seventh years."

"Maybe not, but you can expect her to know exactly who you are. In fact, you should expect that family to be particularly friendly. The Notts have a reputation for being ingratiating sneaks. Don't be surprised if Theo is there that he will act much friendlier than you've ever seen him around school."

"Okay, I'll keep an eye out for the Notts and Yaxleys then."

"Be wary of the Yaxleys and charming with the Notts."

"That's part of the plan then?"

"It is now."

"Alright." Harry's hands renewed their interest in Pansy's breasts while he nuzzled against her neck, kissing it softly. "Enough of the serious work. Time for more fun."

He slowly slid one hand down. It took a meandering path as it caressed her stomach and went further, below her waist. By the time his fingers slipped between her legs, Pansy was moaning with pleasure. Harry loved that sound...

Two days later...

"Don't fidget, Harry," Pansy said as she slapped his hands from trying to adjust his formal robes yet again. "Relax, follow the plan, and everything will be fine."

"You know what would really help me relax?"

"We've had sex twice already today, and we don't have time even for a quickie now."

"Aren't we already late?"

"We are aiming to be fashionably late. Showing up on time or, God forbid, early would make you seem eager. Never tip your hand. You arrive when you feel like it. We will be there roughly half an hour after the beginning, plenty of time for many guests to have previously arrived. Then, you make your entrance.

"And I do mean, make an entrance. Confident, bold, handsome," she said kissing just below his ear, making Harry just want that much more to be extra late, "Harry Potter, not just the boy who lived, but now also the savior of Hogwarts, vanquisher of the dementor horde. People will be excited to see you there, and it will make things better with Narcissa. You showing up to her party will make people wonder how and why the young hero is on friendly terms with the wealthy socialite.

"Watch for her eyes when she sees you arrive- I guarantee she'll be excited and pleased, no matter how much she might try to keep from blatantly showing it. Then, just be charming as usual."

"Just be myself?" He smirked.

"Yes you prat, but don't be surprised if it takes a bit more effort to charm the pants off the other guests compared to someone like Patil or Brown."

"I haven't charmed the pants off either of them."

"You don't know what goes on in the girls' rooms. I guarantee they've had everything off after a couple of times that you've flirted with them."

"Really? Only a couple?"

"You're lucky that I can't smack you without ruining all the work I've put in to make you look presentable, My Lord," she drawled the last bit out sarcastically. "And yes, really. They gossip about everything, including telling me, very much in detail, what they want you to do to them."

"Ooh, that sounds like something I'd like to hear all about."

"Why exactly? Looking to start up that harem like rumors suggest?" Pansy looked at him with a challenging glare, but Harry just smiled.

"I don't think our quarters are big enough for a harem. Besides, I barely have enough time to spend with my amazing secret girlfriend. Other girls would cause scheduling problems."

"Scheduling problems? You think that would be the only issue?"

"It would be a big enough problem by itself. I've decided to make some changes to my physical training. You know, the way we cast spells requires three main parts of our bodies: our minds, obviously, our hands and our mouths. I'm going to work on my hand eye coordination by putting my hands all over you. I'm aiming for at least an hour a day for that. And my mouth will absolutely need a similar work out. Plus, you have so many wonderful places that could use oral stimulation."

"Enough, lover boy. Dobby we're ready to go."

"Yes, miss Pansy. Dobby is ready to go back to the old bad masters' home."

"Right, Dobby. We should be alright there, but I want you to keep an eye on Pansy, just in case."

"Yes, master Harry."

"Sometimes I think you're too paranoid."

"I'd rather be that than unprepared. Now, because of your diminished legal status, I don't want anyone thinking they can get away with harassing you."

"That would be an attack against House Potter, after all."

"Exactly. And I'm not aiming to have to duel anyone tonight. But I will do whatever is necessary."

"Yes, yes, my big protective hero. Let's try to keep that from coming up this evening though. We want to have as many secret weapons as possible for the future. Now, are you ready?"

"A kiss for luck?" Pansy nodded and he leaned down and pressed himself against her lips.

"Let's go."

Dobby transported them to the front of Malfoy Manor, and Harry was briefly taken aback by the ostentatious wealth on display. The building itself was very large, with multiple wings stretching up to at least five stories high, and it was surrounded by lush elaborate gardens. He thought he saw a peacock off in the distance, and if that didn't scream Malfoy, then what did?

He prepared himself mentally for his first high society event as well as he could as he walked down the lane between hedges towards the front door. There were lit rooms to either side on the ground floor, as well as a couple on the first floor, but the upper stories were all dark. It seemed a shame to have such an enormous amount of space for a family of only three people.

The doors swung open on their approach. Harry walked in with Pansy on his arm, even though she had suggested this might not be completely proper. He didn't care, he wanted to make sure that people knew she was with him. They had eventually come up with a compromise that she would separate from him shortly, to find and serve him refreshments soon after their arrival.

Many eyes turned to them as they stepped inside. Harry was just over five foot six now, which assuredly helped his confidence in no longer being the very short, scrawny little kid who had arrived at Hogwarts. Of course, he would give the credit to Pansy though, and honestly, having her in his life (and their very healthy sex life) probably added most of all to his self-confidence.

And then Narcissa was there, walking down the grand stairway from a balcony overlooking the entrance way. She certainly knew how to make an entrance too. Harry made sure to notice the look in her eye as she approached him- Pansy was right, as usual. Narcissa was definitely pleased to see him.

Before he caught himself, he felt both anxious and excited by her appearance. She wore a silver dress, although just calling it a dress felt so very inadequate. The sleeves were short enough to show off her long slender arms, there was a slit up the right side to the knee showing off a toned calf, and while the neckline was rather conservative, the body of the dress clung to her form tightly, hinting at a full and still high bust. Harry briefly wondered to himself if that was the work of a brassiere, a support charm, or amazing genetics. It was going to be hard to do so, but he had to stop thinking about how sexy she looked before he bungled the whole night.

"Ah, Lord Potter, so good to see you. I trust you've had a pleasant holiday season?"

"Very much so, Lady Malfoy. Thank you for inviting me, your home looks truly marvelous. It's almost worthy of such an elegant hostess." She strode over to him as he spoke and offered her hand, which he kissed.

"You look quite well put together yourself, Harry," she replied with a sly grin.

"I believe the thanks for that must go to Pansy. She put a lot of effort in to making me look presentable tonight," Harry answered with a grin of his own as he turned to his companion.

"Very well done, Pansy." She politely nodded as Narcissa continued. "It's good that our Lord Potter has someone to look after his well-being since I realize he must not have had anyone train him for this sort of thing before. I must, as well, offer my condolences after the story of Edmund Parkinson's nefarious actions came to light."

"Thank you, Lady Malfoy. We are dealing with the loss. My Lord has been of great help in that matter."

"I'm sure he must have."

"If you'll excuse me, Lady Malfoy, I will find a refreshment for my Lord."

"Of course, my dear. You'll find what you're looking for through the door to the left," she motioned with one hand as she stepped closer to Harry. "The opposite door is to the drawing room, where we'll be. I'll keep an eye on him until you return."

Narcissa stood beside him and Harry took her hint, offering his arm as she led him towards the crowd in the other room. He did not notice the emotion that flashed through Pansy's eyes before she turned away, but he would not have been surprised if he had.

The drawing room was massive, with vaulted ceilings at least thirty feet high, two large crystal chandeliers, and an enormous fireplace with an ornate marble mantle topped with a gilded mirror that must have been at least ten feet across. The room itself could have swallowed all of 4 Privet Drive with space left over.

Harry was in step with Narcissa as she swept inside, and he could feel a buzz in the air. He saw where Theodore Nott was, and made note of who must be the rest of his family. Kathryn Nott, the previous head girl, did look familiar now that he saw her again. She was quite pretty with long blonde hair and a nicely curvy body, which her white gown revealed only hints of. Her older sister was just as fetching, only taller. They both clearly took after the mother- Charlotte he thought he remembered- which was even odder considering that Theodores senior and junior were both rather unattractive, overly thin with vaguely rat-like features.

Bad teeth seemed to be something of a trend in pureblood males it seemed- Neville had a pronounced overbite as well and Draco had awful teeth, which were all too often on display from his need to constantly run his mouth. Why were the mothers and sisters so much more attractive?

"Lord Potter, may I introduce you to two of our guests from the Ministry's Department of Law Enforcement? The illustrious head of that department, Madam Amelia Bones, as well as one of the more senior aurors, Mr. Corban Yaxley, and of course, his lovely wife, Carina Yaxley."

Harry noticed that Madam Bones shook his hand, as did Yaxley. He bent over and kissed the back of Carina Yaxley's hand though. Pansy was right, she was definitely a trophy wife, and in the running for the most beautiful woman at the party as well. Her husband was more than a decade older, with rather harsh, blunt features, and an imposing countenance. Then again, Amelia Bones had an intimidating air of her own. Maybe that department was full of people with hard looks? Harry could imagine how annoying it would be dealing with the criminals of the magical world- either morons so foolish they were easily caught or sociopathic bastards too privileged to allow the lesser people to give them the justice they deserved. Harry would definitely never be an auror.

He exchanged the usual pleasantries while he waited for Pansy to return. Thankfully, she was not long, and she brought with her a glass of something. He couldn't care what it was, as it would be able to give him cover to hide his expression or serve as momentary distraction as need be. And he felt it would be useful right then, as he didn't particularly want to speak to any of these individuals for too long.

"Thank you, Pansy," he said when she came over.

"You must be the Parkinson girl," Yaxley said brusquely.

"My condolences on your loss," Madam Bones said. "You can be assured we are doing our best to thoroughly investigate the situation with your late parents."

"I appreciate that, Madam Bones."

"If you can think of anything about your father that we might need to know, please feel free to contact me through my office. I assume you are doing well under the auspices of House Potter?"

"Of course. My Lord is most gracious."

"Pansy has been an invaluable resource to me. She continually fills in the gaps where my knowledge of magical culture is limited by not growing up a part of it."

"Yes, that's very well. It was rather odd that you were away from our society for so long."

"Thankfully, that is in the past."

"Indeed."

"If you'll excuse us..."

Harry saw a friendly face across the room and headed that way, Narcissa still on his left arm as Pansy followed close behind. He would recognize the piercing blue eyes of Sam McKenzie anywhere, and he was thankful they were on his side.

"Sam, what are you doing here?"

"Harry, Pansy, a pleasure to serve House Potter, as always. It seems our delightful hostess decided to invite me. Perhaps she thought you could use a friend as you navigated your way through the shark-filled waters of high society."

"That or I'm considering hiring a new solicitor," Narcissa smirked. "From what I've read in the papers and what little I've heard from Harry, you do good work."

"I believe the Malfoy family has had other arrangements going back decades."

"True, but you neglect two things. First of all, being represented by the same people as Lucius might not be the best idea for me. Not to mention the fact that I am a Black by blood."

"A Black?" Harry asked. "Are you related to Sirius Black?"

"He's my cousin, unfortunately. He appeared well enough to me as a child- smart, charming at times, magically skilled. But the war changed us all it seems, and it drove Black to become a despicable traitor. I wonder what his mother must have thought of that?"

"What do you mean?" Harry was absorbed by where this conversation had suddenly gone.

"Well, my aunt Walburga, his mother, was a thoroughly unpleasant woman. She was a very old fashioned pureblood, disliked those she thought beneath her, you know. She was just the sort who thought the Dark Lord had the right ideas when he rose to power. She pushed her younger son, my cousin Regulus, into the service of the Dark Lord. That was one of her worst ideas, and that's truly saying something as the woman was rather mad. Some say madness runs in the Black family, and my older sister Bellatrix gives great evidence to that as well."

"Wait a second," Harry interrupted. "Wouldn't your aunt have married into the Black family?"

"No," Narcissa smirked at Harry. "She was a Black by blood as well. She was a second cousin to her husband."

"Yikes," Harry winced. He noticed Pansy had a smirk of her own. "It sounds like some of the pureblood families could use a transfusion."

"You may very well have a point, but regardless, my aunt's madness cost cousin Reggie his life. The Dark Lord's words were a far cry from his actions. Many, many purebloods died during his reign. Including even some of his followers like my cousin. I never learned the full story, but something he did appears to have displeased the Dark Lord and led to him being killed.

"Sirius was supposed to be the rebel, the son who turned away from things like the Dark Arts. I always thought it was mostly to spite Aunt Walburga. In the end, something happened to change his mind I guess. Or maybe he misled us all. Who knows? Maybe if they actually succeed in catching him we might find out before he's put to death."

"You know, Narcissa," Harry leaned in as he lowered his voice. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but I wouldn't have thought you had such a negative view of Riddle. The rumors say your husband served him, after all."

"Set aside the rumors, Harry, and just consider this. When the seventies began, before his rise to power and all the the violence that followed, I had two beloved sisters and two cousins who were fairly tolerable, for young boys. A decade later, one was dead, two were in Azkaban, and the last was disowned. I don't know that any other family, save the Potters obviously, paid a higher price for all that madness and bloodshed than the Blacks."

"Pardon the interruption, but who is Riddle?" Sam asked.

"Oh, I can't believe I forgot to tell you this: the terrible Dark Lord's real name is Tom Marvolo Riddle. He was the son of a muggle and a witch who went to Hogwarts back in the forties. I think that's why he must have come up with his pseudonym. The Dark Lord Tom just wouldn't scare enough people."

"Tom Riddle. You-Know-Who was Tom Riddle? Are you serious, Harry? How do you know this?"

"I'm very serious, and as for the how, it's kind of a long story. Sorry I haven't mentioned it to you before. I guess we just had so many other things to go through last summer. Sorry, Sam."

"I can't believe it," Sam said as he looked off in the distance. "I knew that bastard."

"You did?"

"I was a Slytherin, class of 1940. Riddle was a few years younger than me. He was a sneaky, creepy little worm, although most didn't see him that way. Oh, he was good enough at the typical power games, and he seemed to be able to charm people when he felt like it. But he was also cruel, completely self-centered, a sociopath really. I tried to throw him in a detention when I was a prefect and he was a third year. Caught him threatening one of the firsties. He had old Slughorn wrapped around his finger though, and he ended up canceling the detention when the firstie just happened to claim that nothing had happened. Riddle had intimidated him, and Slughorn bought his sleazy little protege's lies. I knew that little scum would turn out no good."

"That's putting it mildly, Sam."

"Do you have proof of this?"

"Sort of, why don't we make plans to discuss it further on a weekend once I'm back at Hogwarts?"

"I'll clear the first Saturday, I need to hear everything."

"That works for me."

"Well, Harry, Mr. McKenzie, Pansy, I'm going to have to leave you to mingle with some of my other guests. There will be dancing later, I trust you'll both save me a dance?"

"Of course, Lady Malfoy," Sam replied.

"Your name will be at the top of my card, Narcissa." The blonde sauntered off and Harry thought he caught Sam watching her go. He didn't blame the older man though- Narcissa was something else. He hoped for a moment that he had detected a bit of an extra sway to her hips and that it was meant for his benefit.

He saw Draco scowling in the corner, barely even attempting to pay attention to whatever Theodore Nott was saying.

Harry barely controlled his smirk, knowing just how much it must be killing the boy to see him flirt with his mother. That made the night worth it, whatever else may come.

"I'm going to leave you two gentlemen as well. Don't get into any trouble without me," Pansy said as she wandered off in a different direction. Harry saw her heading towards what must have been the Greengrasses. He recognized Daphne from their year and tried to remember what else she had told him of the rest of the family. There was a younger daughter there as well, but Harry couldn't remember if he had seen her at Hogwarts yet or not.

"So, Harry, tell me how you came to be on such friendly terms with Narcissa Malfoy of all people. She's not quite what I expected tonight."

"I can imagine not. I met her briefly over the summer when out shopping at Diagon Alley. It was back to school time, and I ran into her as well as the Parkinson ladies. We got to chatting, as they had heard rumors of the whole Chamber of Secrets fiasco and my part in it. They were interested in finding out more, and for my part, I was interested to see the reactions of two women I knew to be married to old Tom's supporters. I told them parts of the story, what I was willing to confirm without too much worry. The looks on their faces when I revealed Riddle's real name and half-blood status were very amusing. Dahlia looked absolutely shocked. Draco nearly screamed at me that I was a liar. But Narcissa... she looked interested, calculating maybe, but not nearly as surprised as I had guessed she would be.

"She was a very fascinating conversationalist. I could tell there were things she wasn't saying, and I felt that she knew the same was true of me, but it was... fun I guess. I might have flirted a bit, to annoy Draco mostly, but she seemed to find that even more intriguing and played along. I wondered how much that might have had to do with Lucius being recently arrested, especially with the nature of his crimes. We ran into each other a couple of times since, and she was at the quidditch match in November."

"I can guess she must have contacted you after the match?"

"Yes, she was maybe even more angered and concerned by those monsters being at the school than I was. We sort of threw our lots in together to work to publicize the near tragedy of the dementors attacking the school and get those things sent back to Azkaban."

"That was wise of her. Using her influence on something with such an obvious benefit, and protecting children as well, that would definitely look good for a mother. Especially a mother temporarily raising her son alone."

"Are all lawyers as cynical as you Sam?" Harry asked with a laugh.

"Only the good ones."

"Well, even if it might have been somewhat self-serving for her part, I was glad for the help. That was the second time those demons had attacked me, and I wasn't interested in seeing what might happen if the third time proved to be the charm."

"Fair enough, Harry. So what is Pansy up to? I was surprised to see her go off on her own."

Harry leaned in close and lowered his voice. "Adults tend to ignore their children, you know. Officially, she's going to mingle and see if there's anyone that I might particularly need to meet here tonight."

"And unofficially, she's a little unobtrusive spy," Sam chuckled. "Sometimes I think you should have been in Slytherin."

"Well, the hat did consider it. But I think I'm an amateur compared to people like you and Pansy."

"Alright, my amateur friend, let me see if there's anyone I should introduce you to as well. I saw you already greeted the DMLE contingent. Ah, here we go."

Sam led Harry towards a corner of the room where a man with rather severe appearance was standing, not looking too pleased to be there. He had unnaturally tidy and straight greying hair, with a narrow little mustache. His robes were immaculately neat as well.

"Barty, old chap, let me introduce you to the one and only, Harry Potter. Harry, this is Barty Crouch."

"Bartemius Crouch, a pleasure to meet you Mr. Potter."

"A pleasure as well, Mr. Crouch," Harry answered as they shook hands.

"Barty is the head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. He's something of an ambassador, deals with all sorts of interesting people. Speaks about a hundred languages as well."

"Really, wow! How did you learn that many languages?"

"Magic of course, Harry."

"That's hardly all there is to it, Mr. McKenzie."

"Come now, Barty, call me Sam. We haven't been in a courtroom together in years. And I do say, we are definitely off the clock tonight."

"True enough, I suppose. Anyway, Mr. Potter, magic was involved, but there is much more to it than that. Having a natural inclination to linguistics helps of course, and there are multiple different spells and magical rituals that aid one in learning other tongues. I hear you already possess such an ability."

"Oh? Yes, Parseltongue, I suppose that has gotten out into the public."

"Indeed. I find that very fascinating, you should know. It's one of the few languages I haven't been able to learn."

"Really?"

"Yes, it's a very rare skill here in the West. In parts of Asia, it is much more common. However, even there, it tends to be an inherited ability, and magical attempts to learn it or transfer knowledge of it all seem to fail, at least as far as I'm aware."

"Well, what else is there to your job?" Harry asked, and Mr. Crouch began to give him a rather lengthy description...

Meanwhile...

Pansy was flitting through the crowd, almost completely unnoticed. She watched the people watching Harry, looking for clues, details, innuendoes. Anything really.

The first thing she noticed was the rather surprising scowl on the face of Madam Amelia Bones. From what was publicly known, Bones had been against the dementors being sent to Hogsmeade, and she had come out looking rather prescient after the Ministry was forced to send them back to Azkaban. That was the only obvious conflict between the ministry and Harry, so what could make her appear displeased with him? Had Harry been too abrupt when he spoke with her earlier? Was there something else? Was there something about her father's death that Harry had missed? Maybe their investigation had turned something unexpected up. She would have to warn him about this.

She saw Draco and Theo off in a corner together, both looking sulky. Neither boy was pleased to be there, though that was just about all they shared. Pansy knew they weren't close, both too arrogant and spoiled to be able to work together to form any sort of friendship. No, Draco only played well with others when they were his henchmen, followers all too willing to adhere to his wishes. What horrors must the Goyle and Crabbe families be made of to produce such abominable, moronic thugs?

Across the room, Pansy noticed the rest of the Nott family affably playing the part of aristocratic purebloods. She knew they weren't as well off as they had once been, but Wendy Nott's marriage to the wealthy Maarten Van de Berg had helped alleviate that. Even those who might turn their noses up at foreign wizards were still happy to take the their gold. Wendy was gorgeous, and the Nott family was old enough to add respectability to any status seekers. She must have brought in an impressive bride price. The family was lucky that both daughters took after their mother.

Charlotte Nott was still very attractive well into her forties. It annoyed Pansy more than usual. Why did there have to be so many tall beautiful blondes here? Daphne had at least three or four inches on her and was fancied by many of the boys at Hogwarts, following in her lovely mother's footsteps as well. Her little sister Astoria was too young, but that just meant she was still an adorable little thing. At least Carina Yaxley was childless, although that made her impressive figure more likely to be natural, or at least less in need of the usual beauty enhancements.

Even Narcissa stood eye to eye with Harry tonight, although that was helped by the heels she wore. She was dangerous either way.

The other more serious threat was Kathryn Nott. Just graduated, intelligent, beautiful, curvy in all the right places, and dressed in a virginal white dress hinting at her innocence and availability. Not to mention the way she was eyeing Harry. She might be five years older, but Pansy would bet everything she owned that the Notts would love to get a betrothal agreement regardless.

Pansy saw all this and stewed in her anger. Hopefully she could get a dance in with Harry soon to make her feel better.

By the time the music began later that evening, Harry made his way across the room to Narcissa.

"May I have this dance, milady?"

"I'd be delighted," Narcissa answered with just the hint of a smile. They began to move together seamlessly. "You dance well, Harry."

"Once again, I owe this to Pansy."

"I'll have to thank that girl some day. I assume that means the muggles you grew up with never bothered to teach you how to dance."

"They never taught me much of anything, to be honest."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Thank you. How well is this ball going so far?"

"Compared to years past, you mean?" she asked and he nodded only barely, but it was enough in such extremely close quarters. There was more than both of them were saying, but only with their eyes, blue staring into green and vice versa. "I think this year has been much better received over all. We've had distinguished guests in previous years, but I can't think of any so charming as you."

"You flatter me, Narcissa. But, I am glad to have helped improve your evening in whatever way I might."

"How thoughtful of you."

"I do try."

"How well have you enjoyed the night so far, Harry?"

"It has been very pleasant, some parts more than others."

"Not something a young man such as yourself has experienced before."

"No, definitely not. But I look forward to more events like this in the future. Especially if the company is of such high quality."

They both held their smiles to a bare minimum. There were only two other couples dancing, and they could feel much of the audience watching them dance.

"Do you see Draco, Harry?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"Yes. Shall I lead you to where you can get a look at him?"

"No, I was just wondering how much of a scowl he must have on his face right now."

"Oh, well, I'm not sure how to rate scowls exactly. He definitely isn't enjoying watching us dance together."

"That's excellent."

"Why?"

"I've been trying everything I can think of to try to break him out of the idiocy Lucius instilled into him. Reasoning, scolding, pleading, withholding. Nothing has worked so far. Maybe anger will get through to him in a way I so far haven't."

"Ah, so I'm a way to make your son jealous of his mother's affection."

"And a way to amuse myself at the same time. But I think we both know you're more than that."

"Then, tell me. What am I to you, Narcissa?"

The music faded and the first dance came to an end. She stepped in close as he raised her hand for a kiss and she whispered. "The night is young.

"We shall see..."

Over the next half hour, Pansy watched as Harry schmoozed with the crowd, as well as took a dance with Carina Yaxley, who was looking rather bored with her husband before Harry's arrival. She doubted there was much happiness in that relationship, especially after the ease with which she seemed to light up in Harry's presence. He was doing well tonight, and from the looks she'd seen on a couple of the faces of the younger ladies, he was succeeding in charming their pants off. Not only the younger ladies either, if Carina Yaxley was any indication.

Both Greengrass girls were watching him intently. Daphne would look at him as an serious possible future choice after tonight, seeing that Harry could hold his own among their social strata. His old family name, plus the obvious fame and wealth, would make many of the purebloods put aside his mother's muggle background. Having all magical grandparents was enough for many with less strict views on blood supremacy- and that meant to them that Harry's future children could be considered purebloods. Not having any non-magical family to get in the way would help that convenient blind spot along as well.

Putting that all together, the Greengrasses would definitely look at Harry as a worthy match for either of their daughters. Even the Notts seemed to be considering him, or at least Kathryn was. She was clearly eyeing Harry and waiting for a chance to join him on the dance floor.

Astoria Greengrass was surprisingly more innocent. Her starry-eyed expression as she watched Harry dance was, Pansy had to admit, cute. The young girl clearly hadn't been exposed to too much unpleasantness in Slytherin yet, although that could be because Snape had been somewhat cowed after Sam's threats to Dumbledore back in September. She would have to remember to thank him again for that.

As Harry finished his dance with Mrs. Yaxley, Pansy moved over to him. Harry was smiling when he turned to her, and he swept her onto the dance floor with him.

"Having a good time then, Harry?" she asked in a low voice. Thankfully the party had grown loud enough, especially with the music and multiple couples dancing, that this conversation could be private as long as they were careful.

"I admit that this has been more fun than I had imagined."

"Dancing and flirting with married women suits you," she smirked in response. "I thought I should warn you about a few things.

"First of all, Madam Bones has made a rather unpleasant face any time she's seen you tonight. So be careful of that one. Are you sure nothing was left behind?"

"Dobby and I were both careful. You can't get much more of an expert on cleanliness than a house-elf. We should be safe there. Maybe something else is bothering her."

"Any idea what?"

"No."

For some reason, Pansy thought she caught Harry looking a bit uncomfortable. Was he lying to her? And if so, why? Damn, this was not the time for that discussion- she would have to remember to draw it out of him later.

"Alright, on the other hand, we have your admirers."

"The Greengrasses?"

"I'm surprised you noticed them."

"Well, the younger sister-"

"Astoria."

"Yes, she has been pretty obvious. I've seen girls with crushes on me before. But Daphne has looked a bit less haughty and detached tonight as well. And I do pay attention to your lessons, you know."

"Good. So what are you going to do about them?"

"Be charming, of course."

"You sound sure of yourself. What happened to the nerves?"

"Success breeds confidence, and I've done well so far tonight. Having a couple more friendly faces in Slytherin can't hurt, even if it is only slightly more friendly in Daphne's case. So, I was planning on asking them to dance next."

"Not a bad idea. Now, what are your thoughts on Kathryn Nott?"

"I'll have to be a bit more careful there. A third year might not be in a hurry to get attached, but she's old enough that-"

"That the family might have already been talking about a betrothal with you," Pansy answered, finishing his thought. Harry's eyebrows went up a bit. "I overheard the parents speaking. Her mother thinks you would make an excellent match for her daughter."

"And what did the father have to say about that?" Harry whispered.

"He wasn't as adverse to the idea as you might think."

"Seriously?"

Pansy nodded and continued. "Just because he was a Death Eater doesn't mean he won't look out for himself and his family's future. Having the boy who lived as a son-in-law would permanently squash any rumors against those supposed Imperius victims. Not to mention everything else you have going for you. Wealth, fame, old family name, and recently a rather public unveiling of magical power above the norm."

"All that is enough to silence the blood purists?"

"Probably not the hardliners, but to the less devout, especially opportunists like the Notts, sure."

"Okay, any advice?"

"Keep things light and simple. Don't let her draw you in too much and for once, don't try to be too charming."

"I'll be careful."

"Good."

The music came to an end, but Harry drew her near so her could whisper into her ear.

"Make sure to be ready for midnight."

Pansy walked with him over to the Greengrasses and led him through the introductions before slipping away to disappear into the crowd again.

From the shadows, she held back her sigh as she watched Daphne Greengrass looking surprisingly comfortable dancing with someone she had never spoken to before. Harry was getting better at this than she had realized. She supposed she should feel pride at how well her tutelage had paid off, and she did, but this night was proving to be much more stressful than she had imagined it would be. She saw his smile as he spoke briefly with the newest blonde in his arms, and it seemed almost sincere.

'Relax Pansy, he's doing what we want. Society needs to be more aware of Harry, and making a good impression will go a long way to our goals. Besides, Narcissa must just be eating this up.'

She scanned the crowd and found her target. The Lady Malfoy was indeed looking very pleased with her ball tonight. And she was also casting her glance over Harry's way on occasion. Pansy could not help the smirk and was thankful that no one was paying her any attention. Narcissa didn't look too happy about him dancing with Greengrass either.

Pansy decided to make her way over to Sam again. She did owe him a thanks for helping with Snape.

The music changed again by the time she found him.

"Pansy," he greeted her warmly. "How are you enjoying the evening?"

"Well enough," she answered in a low voice. "Tonight isn't about my enjoyment as much as Harry's reputation. That part goes well, as he's turned a few heads tonight, I believe."

"Certainly the heads of the younger ladies in the crowd," Sam chuckled as he nodded back towards the center of the room. It was a slower number, and Astoria Greengrass was shamelessly leaning into Harry's chest. She looked like a tiny thing next to him and she was wearing an enormous grin. No doubt, when the other first year girls heard about this, she would be the envy of them all. Unlike most of the evening, this surprisingly didn't bother her too much. She'd been in that position more than a few times over the last week, and she was pretty sure that Harry wasn't nearly as excited as when it had been her in his arms.

"That's not too surprising is it?"

"No, you've done your job well." Pansy looked at him but showed only a hint of surprise. "Come on, Pansy, I know you both a bit by now. The Harry we see tonight is your creation. We both know this isn't his cup of tea. I hope your goals are being met, for all our sakes. I'd rather not have to clean up any messes, as Harry has been riding a wave of good publicity for months."

"I think so." She paused and sipped her drink before asking her question.

"Sam, do you know of any reason that Madam Bones would have to be cross with Harry?"

"Madam Bones, hmm...

"None that I'm aware of, but I'm sure I could do some digging."

"I'd appreciate it, Sam. And on the topic of appreciation, I'd like to once again thank you for what you said to Dumbledore about Snape. He still isn't pleasant, or much of a teacher, but he has been much less of a pain in the arse this term." Sam chuckled at her language.

"You're both very welcome. Someone should have done that years ago. I don't know what Dumbledore's thinking as that man is a menace."

"As someone he's tried to menace, I thoroughly agree."

"Can I ask you something now Pansy?"

"Sure."

"How long are you two planning on keeping things secret?"

"As long as it's necessary."

"And what makes it necessary?"

"I know he told you about the things that happened his first two years. Harry has enemies."

"Like your father."

"Like tonight's missing patriarch," she countered. "We both know he gets out soon. And he's not the only one."

"Well, if you will, take an old man's advice." Pansy turned to look at him. "Keeping too many secrets can be hard on the heart. Harry's has been through a lot already, and I have a feeling yours has too. Be especially careful with the things most precious to you. Never take them for granted."

"I'm not taking anything for granted."

"I'm not saying you are. You both have secretive natures, and from what I know of your pasts, I can understand that. But not everything has to be a secret. And I think you'll both be happier, especially in the long run, once you aren't trying to hide the most important thing to you both."

"We'll see, one of these days."

"Not too long, I hope," Sam said as he straightened himself up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I owe our hostess for the evening a dance."

As the solicitor went out to the dance floor, Pansy saw Harry once again with a blonde in his arms. Kathryn Nott was enjoying herself, and either Harry wasn't being too careful, or she was just too determined to not let him be aloof. Pansy took a deep breath as Kathryn led Harry over to speak with her family when their dance was through. It would be another type of dance now, and she just had to have faith in him. Harry could be a devious bastard when it suited him. Hopefully, he could pull it off once more tonight and get away without revealing anything to the Notts.

She couldn't wait for this night to be over. Of course, that didn't mean the end of the night would be easy either. She wasn't sure what she was feeling. Anxious or excited? Hopeful that the plan would work? Worried that Harry might not be able to pull it off? She knew she could handle her part. So why was her stomach so tense?

Harry finally managed to extricate himself from the Nott family. It was a strange sensation talking to them. On the one hand, he had to smile at the father even though he would have preferred to see the man fed to the dementors along with all his colleagues. But at the same time, the women were rather pleasant. Kathryn, more than a little too much. If things had been different, he might not have minded. She was very attractive, witty and smart. But her goal was obvious, and though it was fairly flattering, the family connection would have been problematic enough even if he were available.

There was a tense little moment when he had to pretend to be introduced to Theodore junior for the first time. Sure, he hadn't ever been as nasty as Malfoy, but Harry knew, just from what little interactions they'd shared up to that point, that Nott junior would grow up to be just as much an evil bastard as his father. He hadn't really bothered to put much effort into looking even neutrally at Harry anyway. That made it easier to get away from them, and he saw in his periphery Kathryn giving her little brother a very angry look.

Harry was on his second glass of champagne, and he was tickled that no one had batted an eye at that. It wasn't having too much effect yet, but he knew that he could play it up if he needed to.

Once he got a look at the clock, he saw that it was about a quarter till midnight. The crowd had thinned just a bit, and he wondered at what sort of people would go to a New Year's Eve party only to leave before the clock actually struck twelve. He hadn't been too surprised that Mr. Crouch had been one of those, as the man didn't seem to be much for socializing, which made his ambassadorial role that much odder. Crouch was interesting in a way though, although he was all too willing to drone on about his job. But the idea of learning more languages with magical help did appeal to Harry. If nothing else, it would be a way to thumb his nose up at Vernon Dursley's hatred of everything foreign.

Plus, when he and Pansy did get a chance to take a real vacation, it could certainly be useful to be able to speak with the natives of wherever they might go. This was something that Harry would need to investigate in the future.

He finally saw her on the other side of the room. She gave him just the hint of a nod as she left. Harry slowly made his way out into the hall after her.

It took Harry a couple of minutes to find a bathroom and about twenty nervous seconds more waiting for the door to close behind him. But finally she was there, sliding out from under the cloak. It took all his willpower to manage locking and silencing charms before he took her in his arms.

Once she was able to pull herself away from his lips, Pansy finally managed to speak.

"I know I said this wasn't a good idea, but I'm glad you convinced me otherwise."

"It may be a silly muggle tradition, but there was no way I wasn't going to be kissing you at midnight."

Harry's smile melted much of her anger and frustration away.

"You know that we'll be together next year anyway. Unless you're thinking of getting rid of me," she added with a little pout.

"No way. You're stuck with me, I'm afraid," Harry answered. "But before this year, I've pretty much only had bad luck, so I'm counting my blessings while I can."

"How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine."

"Not too much to drink then?"

"Only when it will be needed. I think I can have another glass by the end of the night and then just add a bit of acting to finish the plan. Are we still going through with it?"

"Yes."

"We've already done a lot. I mean, Draco has-"

"We're not going over this again, Harry."

"Alright, then I demand that we don't do any more talking till next year." And with that, Harry lifted her up onto the counter, and thoroughly snogged Pansy into 1994.

Harry made his way back towards the front of the manor just after the clock finished chiming. He picked up another glass of champagne before heading back into the drawing room.

People were still in high spirits and he found it much easier to put on a smile after the last few minutes he'd been able to spend with Pansy.

Sam clapped him on the shoulder and walked with him over to a side of the room while leaning in to Harry's ear.

"You were missed at the count down, you know."

"Was I?"

"I saw a couple of disappointed ladies looking for you."

"Oh? Are you going to tell me their names, or are you just teasing me?"

"I'll have to charge you if you want it to remain an attorney client secret."

"One minute into the new year and you're already starting to bill me, huh? I thought we were friends, Sam."

Sam laughed with Harry and then nodded.

"Young miss Nott looked most distressed."

"I'll bet. She wasn't too obvious, but her play was clear enough anyway."

"Now who's the cynic, Harry?"

"Nothing against her, but you know my policy on this, Sam."

"True enough. I'm sure the youngest miss Greengrass will count tonight as a win anyway. Pansy didn't even look too grumpy at that, to my surprise."

"She's just a girl, nothing to be jealous of there."

"Fair enough. I'm going to have to call it a night soon. These old bones aren't used to burning the midnight hour as much as they once did."

"You're playing up the age angle tonight, Sam. What gives?"

"Who says it's an angle? We'll see if you're still a night owl when you hit fifty or sixty. Besides, these parties always start to peter out not too long after midnight."

"Alright, Sam. Have a good night, and I'll see you on the..."

"The ninth. I'll head over after lunch."

"Sounds like a plan. Till then," Harry said as the shook hands before his lawyer left the party.

He had a moment of quiet before he was joined by the Notts.

"Lord Potter, it was a pleasure to get to know you this evening."

"My pleasure as well. You have a lovely family, Lord Nott." The son sulked in the background, while the wife and Kathryn looked on smiling. The eldest daughter and her husband were already leaving, and Harry envied them.

"Perhaps we will see you again."

"I'm sure to have a busy term, but who knows what the summer will bring?" Nott senior nodded and walked off with his wife, while junior followed along. Kathryn, though, stayed behind for a moment.

"It's a shame we didn't get to know one another better while I was still at Hogwarts, Harry."

"I believe we both had a lot on our plates last year. But I agree, it would have been nice, Kathryn."

"Maybe you should write me. I've been awfully bored since I graduated." She had a sly little smile for him, and it made Harry more nervous than he meant to show.

"I do better face to face than in writing."

"I suppose you must have had to answer so much mail these last few months. But if I wrote you, you would write me back, wouldn't you Harry? After all, you are a gentleman."

"I guess I am," he replied with a slight grin.

"Excellent. Then I bid you good night, my lord," she said as she offered up her hand.

"Happy New Year, miss Nott," Harry answered as he kissed it and watched her go.

He was just able to stop himself from gulping. That was already more complicated than it should have been.

Pansy hid under the cloak for awhile, watching Harry bid the Notts and then the Greengrasses good night. Kathryn Nott was a tenacious one. She'd have to find out what all that was about. Nothing good certainly.

The Greengrasses were easier. Daphne was still fairly formal, although she did hint at a smile when Harry kissed the back of her hand good night. She could almost hear Astoria's giggles from across the room, despite the din of the thinning crowd, when Harry did the same with her. Just before they walked off, Astoria threw herself at Harry and gave him a hug. Harry didn't hold his shock for too long before he responded. It was made much more amusing by the looks of her parents. The younger Greengrass sister was going to get quite the lecture when she got home.

She finally decided it was time to reappear then, and returned to the drawing room once again, this time while visible. Harry was still sipping his champagne, and the music was playing, only a bit lower. The crowd was much smaller, and Narcissa had been bidding people farewell, including apparently telling Draco it was time for bed, but at the moment she was looking over at Harry.

Time for the next step.

Pansy strode over to Harry, and he took another drink. She turned herself ninety degrees to him once she was by his side. Harry was a bit flushed. She hoped the alcohol wasn't finally having an effect on him. Not now, at the worst possible time.

"She's on her way over," she whispered into his ear as Narcissa approached.

"Well Harry," Narcissa said as she slinked over to him, "the night is almost through. I hope you've found it as enjoyable as I have."

"No complaints so far, my lady." Harry smiled at her, and Pansy could see how genuine it was.

"Perhaps time for one more dance?"

"I would be delighted, Narcissa." Pansy took his glass from him and held her breath.

He led Narcissa out to the middle of the room once more. The music was slow, and Harry pulled her into his arms more closely than Pansy would have liked. She forced herself to shake that thought off. That's what he was supposed to do after all.

Draco looked furious from the hallway. That made Pansy smile.

'Please, don't go to sleep too soon you little piece of filth. The best is yet to come.'

If Draco had seen the fury in her eyes, he would have fled. But all he saw was Harry with his mother in his arms.

"You know, even now there are eyes watching us," Harry said. They were close now, almost face to face, and he found it so easy to stare into her deep blue eyes. He saw something exciting in them. Something dangerous too.

"You mean all the gossip after we started off the night of dancing, or the fact that we are so close, which must have come as such as surprise to them?"

"And even closer now," he replied, barely more than a whisper and with just a hint of a smile.

"Quite a bit closer now, Harry."

"I saw Draco glaring at us before he stormed off a moment ago. I hoped that I helped you in that regard."

"I am sure you must have. But you know that you helped me with much more than just that."

"I assume that I have. Smart of you to have members of the DMLE here to witness your relationship with me. Certainly will distance you more from a criminal husband. That and your efforts against the dementors. Your reputation must be cleaner than it has been in years." She stiffened for just a second, but Harry felt it in the dance.

"I think you're saying more than you should, Harry. Maybe you've had too much to drink. Or are you trying to push my buttons?"

"I just wanted to try being a bit more open with you, Narcissa. We've danced around so much, every time we've talked about anything." She looked in his eyes and must have seen his sincerity as she then relaxed.

"Maybe I should just say thank you then. You're right, you have done a lot to help my reputation tonight."

"You're welcome. I apologize if I said something wrong. You might be right about me having too much to drink. But I felt like some things needed to be said."

"We have danced around things, Harry. I can't say you're wrong about that. It's simply the way it is for so much of my life."

"But haven't things been different these last few months?"

"Yes, they have. I suppose I have you to thank for part of that." Harry forced himself not to respond about just how much she owed him. "I have greatly enjoyed spending time with you, and that's definitely not something that could have happened without Lucius being out of the way."

"I'm glad. I've enjoyed it too."

"I have to admit that I feel in your debt Harry. Coming to my party has been quite the gift. Even if a few tongues might be wagging. Such a scandal for the infamous socialite to have taken up with the young hero. I hope you don't mind the gossip."

"I've had plenty of people gossip about me before; I'm kinda used to it by now." Harry smiled lazily and, maybe it was just the alcohol talking, but he thought he saw a hint of a blush from Narcissa. "I hope you don't mind the gossip."

"Some gossip can be a good thing. Even the scandalous kind." Narcissa stared deep into his eyes, and this time the excitement over-ruled the danger. "Tonight has been everything I could have wanted.

"What do you want, Harry?"

It felt like she had purred her words at him, and Harry knew exactly what he wanted.

"I think you know," he answered in a whisper. And as she looked at him, she must have seen it- because this time she definitely did blush.

Pansy watched and waited. She tried not to think of the dozen different emotions she was feeling. Finally the dance ended and Harry rejoined her after kissing Narcissa's hand. She forced herself not to note how he had lingered over her, or how flushed he was.

Harry took his drink from her and exhaled. He finished it with a large swallow. He was a little bit buzzed now, but how much of that was the champagne, and how much of it was dealing with Narcissa? He stared off into the distance, not looking at Pansy, and trying not to be obviously staring at Narcissa either. It was harder than it should have been.

"How much is the champagne effecting you?" she asked him.

"Enough."

"Can you handle this?"

"Can you?"

He must have sounded too defensive, as Pansy hissed back at him. "And what's that supposed to mean?"`

"Nothing."

"Don't fuck this up, Harry," she growled as quietly as she could.

"I won't. I just want to be on the record as saying that this is your plan, and I said it was a bad idea."

The room was almost empty now, but the silence between the two of them was deafening. Neither would look at the other.

"It's time to start, Harry," Pansy finally broke the tension.

But she walked off without looking at him, and Harry just knew. He was making a mistake. He was walking with his eyes wide open to it. He was going to do it anyway. Damn her. Harry was going to enjoy it more now just out of spite.

Harry didn't even bother to pay attention to whatever Pansy might have gone to do or say. He knew he was supposed to act a bit more inebriated than he really was. It wasn't that hard, especially considering how angry he was. And frustrated. And horny, dammit.

He should have pushed more to have a quickie in the bathroom with Pansy. So what if he got back to the party too late?

But no, he just had to follow her stupid fucking plan.

Oh, he understood it. He knew her long term goal, or at least he thought he did. The Malfoys were dangerous. Therefore, they had to go. And getting Draco to pull his signature move- of running to tell his father, the spineless little bitch- well, he had to admit that was a pretty brilliant thing to use as a weapon.

Harry just didn't like having to be a part of the trap.

Especially with how badly he wanted to...

Fuck it. Time to get another drink.

Pansy and Narcissa found Harry just as he had grabbed yet another glass of champagne. The manor was all but empty now, with the last guests either leaving by floo or stepping outside to apparate away.

He took a drink as the two women walked over to him. He didn't like the looks on either of their faces.

"I think you've had enough, my lord."

Was it just him, or was Pansy being even more sarcastic than necessary? He was used to her being bitchy, just not being bitchy to him.

Damn, tonight was really starting to suck.

"Pansy's right, Harry. Why don't we call it a night?" Narcissa's voice was softer. She looked at him. He loved it when she looked at him. She looked hungry. It was the way he felt about her, especially right now.

"I suppose you're right. Maybe I should go freshen up. If you'll excuse me for a moment."

He headed for a bathroom. He made sure it wasn't the bathroom he had gone to earlier with Pansy.

He could just imagine her voice right now. So smooth, with her little schemes and lies. 'Harry's had too much to drink. I'm worried about trying to get him home. Maybe we could stay in guest rooms?'

He splashed the water on his face and looked at his reflection. Where had it all gone so wrong?

"Dobby," he said quietly.

"Master Harry, sir." His little friend appeared almost silently. Harry loved how loyal he was.

"I don't know what to do Dobby."

"Master Harry said to follow miss Pansy's plan."

"Are you sure?"

"Miss Pansy is a smart witch. Dobby trusts miss Pansy. Master Harry has doubts, but-"

"But I said to follow her plan." Harry sighed. "I hope female house-elves aren't as devious as witches are."

Dobby laughed.

Harry hugged him for it. Really, that laugh was all that needed to be said.

Time to face the music then.

When Harry came back out into the entrance way, only Narcissa was there waiting for him.

"Feeling better Harry?"

"Much. Thank you for your hospitality tonight, Narcissa."

"Pansy went upstairs. She suggested that it might be better if you spent the night here. We have plenty of guest rooms, as I'm sure you can imagine."

"I wouldn't want to be a burden."

"Oh, I don't think you would be. Besides, I don't think Pansy felt up to dealing with you after you had been drinking. And I believe I do owe her a thank you for teaching you to dance, don't I?"

"I believe you said so earlier," Harry chuckled.

"Let me show you the way."

Narcissa held out her arm for him. It was so pale and slender, and Harry had it around his waist twice already tonight. They always say the third time's the charm.

"As you wish, milady."

They headed upstairs in a peaceful quiet. The manor had been so loud just half an hour ago. Now it was like a ghost town.

They chatted briefly about how much of a success the party had been. She turned down one hall and pointed to the far end where Pansy had gone for a guest room. Harry asked where her room was and she motioned to a much nearer door.

"I want to thank you again, Harry, for tonight."

"I think you should."

"I should what?"

"Thank me," he said and without waiting for her to respond, Harry kissed her.

Her surprise only briefly won out, but then she pulled back.

"Then, I should thank you." And he kissed her again. This time, she kissed him back. His arms went around her and pulled her to him. Hers went around his neck, as he leaned down to suck at her throat.

"Harry," she moaned.

They were right outside her door.

"You know what I want," he said without looking up, only kissing more of her neck. He felt one of her hands in his hair, holding him tight against her.

"And I know you want it too."

She didn't argue, but one arm slipped free to reach down and open the door.

Harry thought he heard footsteps, but they no longer mattered.

Pansy saw them nearly fall through the door and into Narcissa's room. She waited for the door to close, then she went one door further down the hall, still under the cloak. She had her wand ready.

She opened the door and slipped into a large bedroom and saw Draco Malfoy near the wall to his mother's room. He turned towards her as he heard the door.

"Imperio."

Thankfully, she was beginning to cast the spell as soon as she stepped inside because otherwise he would have broken her concentration.

Draco had his pants undone with one hand shoved down them.

She was both revolted and relieved. This was going to be even easier than she had hoped.

"Tell me what you're doing, naughty little Draco."

"Watching. I hate him. He shouldn't be with her. He isn't good enough for her."

Pansy saw now that Draco had a section of the wall charmed to see through into his mother's bedroom.

"And who is good enough for her, Draco? Your Daddy?"

"No. My father never touches her. She's always alone. She's waiting."

"Waiting?"

"Waiting for me. Waiting for me to grow up. To become a man. Then I will have her. No one else is good enough for her. Only me."

Pansy saw past him into the bedroom. Harry wasn't wasting any time.

"It looks like Harry is more than good enough for her. Why don't you watch for awhile, Draco? Maybe you can learn something from seeing how much Harry can please her. Before the night is over, she'll be begging for more from him.

"Watch, Draco," she commanded and he turned back around. "And get your hand out of your pants!"

Pansy watched too. A part of her was thrilled with the power she held over the little Malfoy boy and his pitiful little fantasy that was crumbling before his very eyes. It was such a rush to just stamp all over this arrogant little piece of shite.

A likely match, her father had said. Become more familiar with him. She had been sickened and filled with rage. She couldn't torture her father to death, and a part of her was angry with Harry for that. No, but she could destroy Draco. This worthless scum. How dare anyone ever think he was good enough for her. When she was done with him, Draco would beg for death. Oh, how she had longed to crush him.

And even better that Harry was helping do it.

Of course, there was the way he was doing it.

A part of her wanted to cry.

But then there was the other part. The secret part. The part that had told her over and over again that Harry was wrong about her plan. The part that she would never admit.

The part that made her wet.

They were so wrapped up in each other, mouths and hands frantically going everywhere, that it's a wonder they didn't even stumble as they made their way across the room until they crashed onto her bed together. Narcissa's hands immediately went to work as he sat up, leaning over her. She removed his outfit much faster than he ever could have. Honestly, it had been kind of a pain even with Pansy helping him put it on.

No. Not Pansy.

He stood up and slowly traced his hands down the wondrous length of her body. He slowly caressed the outline of her breasts, but only briefly before sliding down her sides and past her waist. On down the outside of her thighs, until he reached that slit on her dress, just at the knee. He kneeled before her then, and kissed that beautiful calf all the way down to the ankle. He didn't even hear her moans of delight now. He was busy.

He pulled the high heels off her feet and caressed them as she stretched and wriggled her toes. Then his hands started their journey back up. This time, he was sliding them under her dress, and slowly pulling the dress up at the same time.

Her legs were so smooth, and he stopped to plant kisses up them every so often. Above the ankle, the inside of one calf, then the other, now her knees. Then he was up to her thighs, and he was standing, still bent, but between her legs and my god was he hard.

Narcissa lifted herself up and pulled the dress over her head. Now she was only wearing a very lacy matching bra and panty set. They were off-white, although that was a little hard to tell in the low lit room, but they had intricate little patterns and were somewhat transparent, which allowed him to see a hint of her pubic hair. Harry kissed her mound through them, and this time he did hear her moan.

He stepped back only enough to slide them off her. Then he dove between her legs. He wanted to devour her.

She was darker down there, a golden brown compared to her blonde hair, and she was nicely groomed, a trim little triangle. He kissed all around her labia for a moment, but only a moment as he hungered for her. Then he licked up and down her slit before it opened for him, and his tongue was quickly inside her. She was already wet, more excited than he had even hoped, and she came almost immediately. But, Harry didn't stop. As soon as her peak was over, he began to work her towards a second orgasm.

That one was nearly as fast as the first, but before Harry could go back for a third, Narcissa was pulling him up. He licked her belly button on the way before stopping at her bosom. The bra too was transparent, and he could see her nipples straining against the fabric. She sat up and freed her breasts and Harry immediately latched onto one nipple with his mouth as he caressed the other with his left hand, while he wrapped his other arm around her back and pulled her tight against him. Narcissa's arms were clasping him to her just as tightly.

"I need you inside me. Now."

How could he resist that?

Pansy watched in her confusion. She was trying to process several different conflicting emotions, when a whimper from Draco drew her focus.

"What's the matter Draco? Don't you like watching Mummy get fucked?"

"No. Yes. I don't know."

She looked into the other room and saw Narcissa's legs now wrapped around Harry as he drove into her at a furious pace. She wondered how long he would last.

"Watch closely, Draco. Watch what a real man can do to a woman. This is something Daddy could never show you. He could only show you how to bugger helpless muggles. Or do you think he preferred taking it up the arse?

"Well, answer me!"

"He... My father wouldn't..."

"Oh yes he would, Draco. Didn't Mummy let you read the stories about Daddy when they took him away to Azkaban? What do you think he was doing down in that cell, naked with two muggle men? I like to think he was taking one at each end. Don't you agree Draco?"

"No, he wouldn't-"

"Yes he would. He'd love to have big muggle dicks to play with. Just picture it Draco. One muggle shoved down his throat and the other up his arse. That's how Daddy liked it, wasn't it?"

"No!"

"Don't argue with me, you little worm."

She looked back to Harry and Narcissa. They were still in the throes of passion. It was so hot. Look at him go. Narcissa was damn near screaming now. She wondered if they would realize they hadn't cast any silencing spells.

A grunt from Draco brought back her attention to him.

"What's the matter, Draco?"

"I came."

"What!?"

"I came in my pants."

She started to laugh and only stopped herself to make sure that Narcissa didn't hear anything. Of course, from as loud as they were, she was probably safe for the moment.

"So, you do like watching Mummy get fucked then, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Such a naughty boy, Draco. I want you to remember this Draco. Remember watching Harry Potter fuck Mummy. But you won't say anything. Not to Mummy, and not to Harry Potter. You can only tell Daddy. In fact, why don't you write to Daddy right now? Tell him all about how Harry Potter fucked your Mummy and how all you could do was watch and play with your pitiful little excuse for a cock.

"You won't remember I was here either. Only what you saw Harry Potter do to Mummy. And how much better at it he was than you could ever be."

Narcissa now was screaming Harry! over and over again as her body went rigid. Harry's pace quickened for a moment and then ended.

"Did you see that Draco? They finished with a bang. Your Mummy was screaming for Harry. Bring your things over here so you can watch and write at the same time. I know Harry has more in him than just that. He's got all night to wear your Mummy out. You get to watch it all.

"Narcissa's a very lucky witch. Did you see all the ladies at the party that danced with Harry? How many danced with little Draco? I didn't see any. I bet Kathryn Nott would love to trade places with your Mummy. Her family was all ready to get her engaged to Harry. She would have wanted it done even more if she could see this.

"Or Carina Yaxley maybe. Her husband must be gay or impotent to not have shagged at least one baby out of that tight body. Did you see how she danced with Harry? Her face lit up when she was with him. I bet she's at home jilling herself silly tonight.

"Even the Greengrass girls. Daphne actually loosened up a bit and almost tried to smile. I could hardly believe it was the same frigid bitch I've known all these years. Astoria, well maybe she's a little young still. But she's definitely dreaming of Harry. You must have seen how she threw her arms around him before she left. Probably getting a spanking for not acting like a proper little lady, but I bet she'd tell you it was worth it. In fact, I bet we'll see it won't be long before every other first year girl just hates her from all the jealousy."

She stopped her rant and let Draco get to work on his letter.

Harry was reclining back against the pillows, and Narcissa was laying against him. They were speaking in low voices that Pansy couldn't hear. She was going to have to wait.

"Harry," Narcissa took a deep breath as her heart was still racing. "I can't believe we did that."

"Don't worry, I'm not done with you just yet."

She laughed, and she sounded years younger than he had over heard her before.

"I hope not. I just... I'm still shocked. I had hoped but..."

"But what?"

"Harry, do you have any idea how nervous I was? I haven't had sex since... well, since before you were born."

She seemed to deflate at that. Harry squeezed her and kissed the top of her head.

"I'm sorry."

"And tonight, lusting after a teenager. More than once I felt like a fool. What was wrong with me? Had all the years tied to Lucius left me as this... this desperate older woman? Do you know what I did when you went to freshen up earlier?" She was looking up at him again, those deep blue eyes holding both a weariness and a joy both fighting for control.

"No."

"As soon Pansy had left me alone, I cast the contraception charm on myself. And then I was utterly mortified by what I had done. At what I was hoping would happen, and at the thought that I could be wrong. Do you know the only thing worse than worrying about having my first shag in more than a decade was the idea that you would reject me?"

"As if any man could resist you," Harry chuckled.

"Lucius did," she answered bitterly.

"Which just proves that he wasn't a man. Do you know what I wish?"

"What?"

"I wish that I could go back in time and meet you twenty years ago. That I could have stopped you from marrying that worthless ponce."

"That's sweet Harry," her eyes were sparkling now. The joy was winning out. "But my parents wouldn't have accepted you unless you were a pureblood."

"Then I would have just had to fake my identity. You know the goblins are good about that sort of thing if you're willing to pay for it."

"And would you have paid for it?"

"I think you're worth it."

"Okay, stop being sweet before you make me cry."

"Alright, I have a lot more work to do tonight anyway."

Harry rolled over and began to suckle at her breasts again, while his hand slid down between her legs.

"Oh, Harry."

"Look, Draco, Harry's started fucking Mummy again. Watch while I look over what you've written."

Pansy read through the letter he had started. It wasn't very good- not nearly descriptive enough. She was going to have to dictate something much more provocative. She wanted Lucius absolutely unhinged once he'd read it.

Draco was groaning while watching Harry pounding into Narcissa. Her legs were stretched out with her ankles up by his ears, and she was already begging Harry for more. Pansy knew that position well, she liked to feel as much of him inside her as she could.

Oh, now that pissed her off.

He was sucking on her toes.

Pansy loved it when he got really excited just a few days ago and sucked on her toes while they were fucking. She had teased him about how he had said she had sexy little toes- they were in this same position no less- and then all of a sudden her toes were in his mouth. It was so fucking hot.

Harry would do just about anything to worship her body. Any little hint, and he would be willing to try it. One night he had been kissing her throat and she joked that he should try licking her collarbone. And of course he did it. It actually did feel pretty good for a second, but then it turned out that she was really ticklish in one spot right there and she had to beg him to stop. Laughing until you cry isn't a good thing to do in the middle of sex. Her lungs had hurt so bad for a few minutes after that.

And now he was sucking on Narcissa's toes.

For some reason this made her much angrier than just the sex had.

"Alright, Draco, listen up." He had grunted again. "Stop coming in your pants you little maggot.

"Yes, Harry Potter is shagging your Mummy's brains out, and yes, she is screaming with delight while he sucks on her toes. That is the sort of thing you need to write your Daddy. Not this garbage." She tore up the parchment of his first aborted attempt at a letter.

"I guess you just aren't a very good writer. But don't worry. I'll tell you just what to write. We want Daddy to know all about everything Harry did to your Mummy, don't we Draco?

"Now get a fresh piece of parchment and write what I tell you. Don't worry, we'll make sure to get the letter just right so that Daddy knows everything about Harry Potter fucking your Mummy's brains out.

"We've got plenty of time. I'm sure Harry will make sure your Mummy feels better than she ever has before, even if it takes him all night."

And sure enough, no one in Malfoy Manor got very much sleep that night...