En Memoriam

Chapter 24

"Thank you for seeing me Mrs. Malfoy." Harry ducked his head as he entered the large manor. His eyes taking in the subtle lack of expensive art on display. The house held an odd air to it, not really oppression but something certainly heavy.

Narcissa moved quietly towards one of the smaller rooms where she often took her tea, "I hope whatever it is you need I will be able to help with."

Harry nervously scratched at the back of his head to her soft words. Why he felt guilty about what he was going to ask he wasn't sure. Perhaps it was still the fact that the aftermath of the war was still effecting the Malfoy's.

"Me too...Just so you're aware, this isn't official business rather...a personal request..." Harry took the offered seat as a house elf appeared with a tray of tea. The small creature set it on the table before disappearing promptly.

Narcissa raised a brow at him, looking up and down his Auror robes before taking a seat herself. She crossed her legs before calling a cup of tea into her hands, "What is it you need Mr. Potter?"

"Well... information mostly, and possibly a little bit more..." He turned pulling out a copy of Drugor's report that he'd kept for himself. He took a deep breath before offering it out over the small table. Once it was in her grasp he took a cup of tea for himself, watching her reaction from over the rim.

Narcissa gave him a wary look as she set her cup down to open the parchment, her eyes widening slightly when she took in the drawing at the top. She swallowed thickly before raising her eyes, "What do you need to know?"

"Do you...know who made it?" Harry gripped his cup tightly. Memories flooding his inner eye despite his best attempts at keeping them out.

"I know who gave it to my sister..." She folded the paper and set it down into the tea tray, "I don't know who made it..."

Harry set down his sipped tea, taking the paper back, "Who gave it to her?"

Narcissa's eyes turned down, her face turning a bit reverent. "Severus..."

Harry hadn't expected that answer in the slightest and it showed on his face. He cleared his throat for a moment,  "Do you know if it was cursed before or after she got it?"

"No idea..." Narcissa shifted comfortably for a moment, "Was there anything else?"

Harry chewed his lips looking down at the floor for a long time, "Yes... actually..." He glanced up through the rim of his glasses trying to keep his voice level, "The night...we were captured by the snatchers and brought here..."

Narcissa closed her eyes tight, turning her head away but didn't stop him.

"Bellatrix... tortured my friend...with that knife..." Harry was cautious, it was very clear on Narcissa's face how much the memory bothered her. Though he couldn't tell how it bothered her specifically, "The curse...on that blade...is still hurting her..."

Narcissa could see the entire evening flashing through her mind, it had been a horrible failing for everyone involved. The torture she'd endured after still left it's mark on her frame, though her husband was the only one to see the scars left behind. Her eyes narrowed tightly, her jaw clenched tight.

"Our curse breaker said...that it might be possible to break the curse if...We had blood of the person close to whoever created it..." Harry took a deep breath, raising his head fully.

"You want my blood?" Her voice was impossibly tight, her lips thinned.

"Please...it's the only way..." Harry didn't find any shame in begging.

Narcissa looked at him for a long moment. The air around them growing nearly impossible to breathe. She turned slowly drawing her wand from her sleeve. She rolled up the arm of her dress revealing a network of faded curse marks. Like large spiderwebs they crisscrossed the expanse of her forearm. She conjured a vial out of thin air before dragging the tip of her wand over the vein at her wrist.