Death by Granger [rewritten version]

19

Though he'd yet to wake, St Mungo's had allowed Theo to spent his unconscious days and months in a bed far more comfortable. There was little they could do but wait. When Draco had offered the manor, he'd done it because everyone hated the manor. It was quiet and serene, which meant no one would disturb Theo — if he could even be disturbed.

But then Ginny and Hermione took to spending days and nights by Theo's bedside, which led to Blaise coming over far more often. Pansy didn't like being left out and Ron didn't like his sister surrounded by 'stinky snakes'. As for Luna, she wasn't around all to often, but it felt like she was.

Draco said often how he regretted letting Theo into the manor, but he never meant it.

Narcissa, however, fully meant it. She was appalled to discover that Hermione and Draco refused to head back to school after winter break had ended. If that hadn't surprised her too much, she was doubly concerned to find Ginny Weasley permanently taking up residence in her house. For the first two months, she urged them to go back to school but in the end, she relented. She did, however, arrange tests and exams for them, which had them throwing her nasty glares when they thought she wasn't looking.

But she was not cruel. She had learned to tolerate Hermione first, when the young Death Eater first stepped into the manor. As she saw what Hermione did for her son, she grew to respect and thereafter care for Hermione. To Hermione, Ginny was family. That made her just as important to Narcissa.

Every night, she would creep into Theo's room and gently scoop up Ginny in her arms. Ginny never knew that it was Narcissa who put her to bed in her own room every night. Narcissa never intended on letting her know.

She had gone into Theo's room this morning to fetch Ginny and took a few moments to study the redhead curled up in an arm chair she'd dragged out of the attic herself. It was Ginny's chair now.

She shook Ginny awake gently.

"Go back to sleep, Hermione. It's too early."

Narcissa gave a small smile. "It's quite late actually, dear."

Ginny startled herself away and tumbled out of the chair. "Narcissa! Hi! Hello. Uh, good morning, Mrs Malfoy."

Narcissa's smile grew the tiniest bit. "You may call me Narcissa, dear. Or Miss Black, if you wish to remain formal."

"Miss Black. . ." Ginny said slowly with a slightly frown. "Have you . . . Is it done, then?"

Narcissa nodded. "It is done."

"That's wonderful! Really, it is!"

Narcissa gestured to the door. "I'll tell you all the benefits I've received if you'll follow me to breakfast?"

Ginny frowned. "Oh, all right. I am a bit hungry."

"Yes, and I'm told you have a training session this weekend. You can't possibly play well if you're not taking care of yourself, can you?"

Ginny's draw dropped. "You're using my declining athleticism against me? That's playing dirty!"

"It's what any good mum would do. Come along, now."

The two of them stepped out, Ginny taking extra care to close the door quietly. She threw a very weak glare at the back of Narcissa's head as she followed the older woman down the hallway.

As soon as their footsteps faded, Draco and Hermione opened their doors, not at all surprised to see the other in their doorway.

"Did you hear that?" Draco asked.

Hermione nodded with a broad grin. "Narcissa just called herself 'mum'! Of bloody course I heard it!"

"The last time she let anyone call her mum, I was five years old."