Narcissa Malfoy awoke in strange surroundings and it took a moment to realize where she was, sleeping on a sofa with Pansy Parkinson curled up in her lap. Both had talked and cried long into the night about the situation they now found themselves in.
They had both dutifully stayed by the bodies of their departed and hadn't heard the radio broadcast so neither knew the identity of their new lord. The speculation got wilder as both tried for an explanation to the predicament that they now found themselves in but sleep had eventually overcome their fears.
Narcissa looked down at the young girl and could understand why their lord would put Pansy in such an apartment but her, now that was a mystery. Narcissa knew she was still an attractive woman, the appreciative glances cast by men when she was draped on Lucius arm were the only reason she was allowed to leave the Manor, her husband liked to display his possessions but she could not compete with this young girl.
She sat there deliberating at which exact point her life had turned to shit!
When growing up she had been happy and very close to her sisters Bellatrix and Andromeda but that all started changing when their father began marriage negotiations. Bella was contracted to Rudolphus Lestrange and dutifully complied while Andi refused point blank to become father's bargaining tool. This ended with her being disowned from the family leaving Narcissa to be sold to the Malfoy's!
It wasn't too bad at first, there always seemed to be a function to attend which of course required a new dress but no sooner was she pregnant than Lucius moved her into a self contained apartment inside the mansion or the plush prison as she came to call it. Her husband never entered the marital bed again, Draco was born and the Malfoy family had its heir.
Draco eventually became the biggest disappointment of her life! She had such high hopes for her son in the beginning but his fathers influence gradually strangled any good or decency that was in his body leaving behind a husk filled with arrogance, hate and jealousy - there wasn't room for anything else.
When removing his father's ring the scathing look Draco gave her sent feelings of fear and revulsion down her spine and she knew within herself that had he not been killed she, his mother would've had to do it herself, preferably before he raped her!
Voldemort was another major factor in ruining her life; he murdered cousin Regulus, Sirius was in Azkaban with Bella before escaping while Lucius used gold to buy his freedom but spent the rest of his life waiting on his lord returning.
The conversations with Pansy throughout the night was by far the most contact with another human being she'd had in many years and when totalling up the balance sheet of her life to date the total at the bottom was a big fat zero.
Thinking your life was over was bad enough but what can you do when it never really began!
Pansy stirred on her lap and Narcissa couldn't help but feel the young girl had a lucky escape with her son's death, Lucius had at least treated her with respect while Draco had never learnt the meaning of the word.
As Pansy woke breakfast appeared on the table and the women knew that whoever this new lord was at least they were being cared for.
Harry and Hermione entered Ragnok's office to be met with a rather sheepish looking Emma Granger as she explained her titanic breech of etiquette.
Hermione had seen the twinkle in Ragnok's eye so decided to play along "well mother the only way I see to resolve this issue without causing a major diplomatic incident would be for you to promise Director Ragnok a dance at the wedding!"
Ragnok couldn't remember when he laughed so much as Hermione started him off again, after regaining his composure he stood and bowed "It would be my honour to dance with any of the lovely ladies present and my wish to dance with each of you at least once! Mrs Potter my offer of a job still stands, any job!"
Harry explained the situation with the Aurors and Ginny immediately jumped to her feet and was reaching for her wand when a pair of arms circled her body, pulling her tightly into Harry's chest.
She felt his breath on her neck as he whispered "Ginny, you're a Potter now and we at least try to think before springing into action. You were about to draw your wand, inside Gringotts and in the presence of the goblin leader. Even I couldn't have saved you!"
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