With you in my Arms

82. Supposed to being the operative words

Dearest Readers,

this is a bit of a filler really, but it needed to be put in. Don't worry though. Some more action is just around the corner.

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After Narcissa Malfoy reached the flat she went straight into the kitchen to find the Daily Prophet. Holding it up she saw Blaise Zabini with a stern expression, but that was on the last page, the Sports section. She turned the paper over and saw herself confronted with the photograph of her own son.

Draco Malfoy, son of infamous Death Eater Lucius Malfoy

She frowned. Of course this was her son, but what had... Realisation crept up on her like a stalking predator before it pounced. Her breath hitched in her throat as she finally saw what the picture was all about.

How could this be? She had been present as the Dark Lord had burnt his flesh. It had been her comforting him as he had been lying in his room, his body shaken by pain and something she couldn't name but feel, pure evil. Draco had been suffering the after effects of him being honoured with the Dark Mark more than anybody else she had seen it been done to. It was as if his body had been fighting against the violation. Though his skin had been just as irreparably damaged as his father's had been.

Taking a deep breath she slowly sat down. She was more than happy that he wasn't a marked man any longer, but how did he manage it? What had he done? What spell had he used? Had Hermione been able to help him get rid of it?

Hermione... The smartest witch of their age... But she wasn't just smart, this Muggle born was an exceptional witch. Her magic was stronger than most in her generation. Only maybe Draco was as skilled. Was she the key to this miracle? If she truly loved Draco she would be showing the Mark of Connection. Narcissa had only ever heard of it. She had never seen it. She had never loved Lucius enough to develop it herself. Though the way her son and daughter-in-law were acting around each other she was almost sure that the young witch and wizard would be privy to this experience. Was their love strong enough to conquer and even vanquish the remnants of the dark past the Malfoy heir had been enduring?

They had woken from a month long coma no magic had been strong enough to rouse them from. Nothing seemed to be impossible for them so why not the eradication of the Dark Mark?

She slowly folded the paper and then flooed to the Ministry. She needed to talk to James about this.

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It only took a very stern look and the sending of her Patronus for James to appear regardless of the feeble attempts of the new receptionist to stop her.

"Narcissa? What are you doing here?"

A silly question he realised a heartbeat later.

"Come through."

He took her hand and laced it around his arm. The young witch at the desk behind them was frowning. This had been Narcissa Malfoy, the wife of the most influential Death Eater still alive. What was she doing with somebody like James Mulligan?

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James Mulligan was seriously concerned when the Patronus of his witch appeared in his office. So he went to investigate what the reason was for her come to the Ministry.

"What has happened, Cissy? I thought you wanted to go to Paris for the day?"

She sat in his chair while he perched himself on the edge of his desk.

"I was. It was there that I overheard a conversation about something that the Prophet had been printing. I went home and found Draco on the front page." she looked at him, "I trust you all here have seen the picture?"

"Yes, we have."

"How is that possible, Jay? I mean, we all know it can't be reversed or removed by any means. Never has ever been able to do that."

"Your son has." James replied in a quiet, thoughtful voice.

"Yes. Somehow he has managed the impossible."

"It wouldn't be the first time."

She looked at him. There was a solemn expression on his face.

"He's be able to claim Hermione Granger. Something most people would have been sure about that it was impossible, that she of all witches would never so much as give him a second glance." he drummed his fingers on the tabletop, "But she has and a lot more besides. In about a month she'll be the mother to his first born child. Cissy, if anybody could rid him of the Dark Mark it would probably be her."

"But doesn't that put them in danger again? What if the Death Eaters still out there think it a good idea to kidnap her and try to force her into eradicating their marks as well?"

"Well, yes, there's that of course. It's something we've already been discussing. A spell will be leaked that he will have supposedly been using for the removal. There will be a lot of false secrecy about it and the warning that not all people have strong enough magic to perform it. There might be nasty side effects."

Narcissa looked at him.

"Nasty side effects?"

"Green hair, blue skin, boils, fingernails growing non-stop for a week, things like that."

"And who will devise this spell?" she ventured.

"It's being done as we speak. It will also allow us to pick up the Death Eaters in hiding should they be silly enough to seek treatment for their predicament. St. Mungo's has been alerted to our plan."