An Interference of Portraits

A Kappa in the Bath

Lucius and Narcissa certainly did want a tour and I think it offered them a chance to escape the mayhem for a moment. I recognised that they felt very out of place and it must have been unnerving for them.

'Thank you for coming, Mr and Mrs Malfoy,' I said. 'I mean, I didn't actually know everyone was coming until Neville virtually broke down the front door this morning but thank you.'

Narcissa said, 'when Draco said what was happening, we wanted to help in some way. It's just—'

I smiled, 'there's a lot of people and its chaos and its mostly Weasleys. And there's a lot of history...'

'Yes, Mr Potter,' said Lucius. 'And that's bound to be a bit unpleasant. But I'm afraid I dug that hole so now we must try and climb out of it and make amends.'

'I understand. Please, call me Harry, I think we're a bit beyond all these formalities.'

'That's very kind, Harry,' said Narcissa. 'And I insist likewise. You must call us Narcissa and Lucius. I would like to see this as part of our journey forwards into a brighter, new world. We're making some headway but aren't there yet.'

'Well, come and see what I've been doing and then, hopefully, things will have settled down and we can just hide in the kitchen and pretend we're helping by taking out cups of tea at regular intervals. And everyone will be so grateful for the refreshments that they'll forget about the past.'

'Haven't you got House-Elves for that?' said Lucius.

'Shhh, don't spoil my plans for skiving,' I grinned and Narcissa smiled, clearly delighted that I felt I could tease Lucius.

She said, 'I don't remember the house ever looking this clean or bright but Draco said you've been working hard.'

'I needed to do something with my time since I got back and it was verging on uninhabitable before. I suppose I could of walked away from it all completely but I decided that as its my only link to Sirius, I'd do right by the old place. And it is a nice house beneath all the rot and grunge. There's still an awful lot of bedrooms to go but I'm getting there. I should warn you, when we get to The Portraits, no doubt they'll want to talk to you but just ignore them.'

Lucius raised an eyebrow. 'I heard Walburga Black wanted to speak to me.'

'Yeah, just don't. Walburga's an interfering old hag.'

'I can hear you, Harry,' her haughty voice drifted down from her midway point on the stairs.

I spoke a little louder, 'like I say, an interfering old hag.'

Narcissa was trying to hide her twitching lips, 'that's Aunt Walburga you're talking to...!' she whispered. 'You're calling her that within her hearing...!'

'Mhem,' I said, 'we have an understanding, in that I won't take any of her nonsense—and she talks an awful lot of nonsense—and I let her stay on the wall.' I pushed open the first door we'd reached. 'This was the Old Library, soon to be Head Office of the Home Nations Quidditch Championships. I assume Draco has told you about the plans?'

'He said you're willing to be a silent partner but use your name when necessary to help out.'

'Absolutely, it's Draco's idea, his business. I'm not about to trample all over that.'

'And did I overhear in the kitchen that you already do this? That you're involved in Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes?'

'Yeah, I gave Fred and George the start-up funds to get the shop running. It was my winnings from the Triwizard Tournament, I didn't exactly want to keep it after everything. I tried to give it to Amos Diggory but he refused...'